K8 Chief
by miss37
Summary: Sequel to "A New Life". Mac is settling into his role as Chief of Detectives now, but what new plot will come against him? Can he survive this time? This story has a religious theme and is packed with new cases and mysteries.
1. Chapter 1

3

**Chief**

It was February, and it was cold. Mac Taylor was hot on the trail of Meth Labs. There had been a string of people in the emergency room lately, who had overdosed on Methamphetamine and four had died. Mac was used to his new job as Chief of Detectives now, and his new lab was just about completed. The lab area was finished, but the offices were still under construction. Mac thought his new office upstairs was bigger than his office downstairs. It was certainly bigger than what he had before. They had converted the entire sixth floor into part of the lab and moved the other offices down to the third.

Mac was wearing his bulletproof vest. He, Tim Sorrel, and several more officers were about to break up a suspected Meth Lab. Mac could smell chemicals outside. He put on his gas mask, and so did the others. He looked at Tim. "You ready?" he whispered.

Tim nodded. Mac motioned for the officers to break the door down. They rammed the door, and Mac and Tim ran inside. "Police!" Mac yelled. "Freeze!"

That sent chaos through the place. Three people ran for the back door. Mac and Tim went after them, while the other officers took care of the other four. Mac pulled off his gas mask. He was not having trouble with his back anymore or his feet, so he was hot on their trail. The three split up. Mac went to the left and Tim went to the right.

Mac chased the guy into a gaming arcade. There were lots of people in there, since it was Friday. Mac tried to keep sight of his prey, but the guy disappeared in the crowd. Mac put his weapon away and walked through the arcade looking for his suspect. He walked around the basketball game, and suddenly, the guy tackled him. He shoved Mac into the Jurassic Park game. Mac got his bearings back quickly and punched the guy. This suspect had a lot of fight in him, however. He tried to kick Mac, but Mac grabbed his foot and shoved him down.

Mac got up and grabbed the man. He shoved him into one of the games and got handcuffs on him. "You're under arrest!" he said. He was out of breath. He got the guy up and walked him all the way back to the crime scene. He turned the prisoner over to the other officers and went back into the house.

Tim was inside. "How did you get back so fast?" Mac asked.

"I guess mine gave up quicker than yours," Tim said.

Mac looked around the house. "I assume this is it."

"One of them, anyway."

"That's a lot less drugs to have to deal with."

They collected all the evidence and boxed it up. Mac and Tim searched the house and found precursors hidden all around the house. Mac opened a closet in the basement, and a dead body almost fell on top of him. Mac jumped back. He covered his nose. "Tim!" he called.

Tim came down the basement stairs. He looked at the body, then at Mac. "I assume we need more than the drug busters," he said.

Mac looked at him. "I would agree." Mac squatted beside the body. "Looks like he was shot three times in the chest." Mac looked at Tim. "Go and get my forensics kit and camera out of my truck."

"Yes, sir."

Tim went outside. Mac got his phone and called Ray Barnes, the new father. Ray and Stella's baby had been born on January 1st. They almost had the first baby of the new year. They were only beaten by ten minutes. "Barnes," Ray said.

"We have a body in this Meth Lab," Mac said.

"You need me there?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

Mac put his phone away. Tim came back in with the forensics kit. Mac took the camera out and took pictures of the body. He examined the wounds. "Looks like a forty-five caliber," Mac said. "Doesn't look like he was shot at close range. Looks like his head is bashed in on the back too." Mac checked the man's pockets. He found a wallet. He opened it and looked inside. "Chester Freeman."

Tim wrote that in his notepad. "How old is he?" Tim asked.

Mac looked at the license. "Thirty years old."

Mac did not find anything else in the man's pockets, except cigarettes. He looked in the closet and found blood drops in the closet, but no spatter. He took samples of the drops but did not find a weapon.

Soon, Ray arrived. "What have we got?" he asked.

"Chester Freeman," Mac said. "Thirty years old. I found him in that closet there. Almost fell on top of me."

"No weapon?"

"Not yet. I'm about to see if I can find where this guy was killed. He must have been dead at least a week."

Mac shined his flashlight on the floor and found dried blood drops. He took pictures and followed the trail, which got more and bigger as he went. The trail led up the basement stairs that led outside. Mac unlocked the basement doors and pushed them out. The trail of blood drops led out into a yard of solid snow. Mac stared at the yard. There were not even any tracks in the snow but there was a pool in the back yard. It had been drained for the winter, but there was snow in the bottom. However, Mac could see dried blood on one side of the pool.

Mac thought the victim must have been shot out here and fallen into the pool. Who would go to the trouble of dragging him up out of there and taking him inside and putting him in that closet? The pool was not deep. Mac knelt at the side of the pool and leaned over to get a better look at the blood. He got a swab from his case and got a sample.

Ray came out of the house. "You find something?" he asked.

"Blood," Mac said. "Looks like our victim was shot here and then dragged him in there to the closet."

Mac took pictures of the blood in the pool. Ray climbed down into the pool. He discovered there was ice under the snow in the bottom as he almost slipped down. "Don't fall down and break anything now," Mac said. "That's the last thing a new father needs."

"Don't I know it?" Ray asked.

"How is the baby today?"

"Beautiful, and so is Stella."

Ray had a small shovel with him. He dug the snow away from the blood and discovered there was a pool of dried blood in the bottom of the pool, although it was wet from the snow. Ray took pictures of it. "Definitely killed here," he said.

"Yes," Mac agreed. "Now, we have to figure out who did it."

"Oh, and don't forget, you have to take care of the drug bust too."

"Right. You get all this evidence back to the lab."

Mac went back into the house. He searched the basement, but he did not find any weapons. He went upstairs. Tim met him in the front room. "Hey, Mac," he said. He held up a gun in a bag. "I think I might have found our murder weapon. It's a forty-five. Looks like it has fingerprints on it."

"Good." Mac put the gun in his forensics kit. "You finish up here and bring me the report of everything you find here."

"Yes, sir."

Mac went out to his truck. Ray came out too. "I'm going to the lab," Mac said.

"I'll meet you there," Ray replied.

Mac got in his black Avalanche and went back to the lab. Ray had traded his red Ford F-150 for a red Toyota Tundra. It had a double cab, and they could put the baby in it if they had to. He and Stella also had a car. Stella was out on Maternity Leave. She would not be back for at least two more weeks. It was only February 3rd.


	2. Chapter 2

When Mac got to the lab, it seemed huge and empty. He still was not used to this new place. The lab area was made of glass, and it was a much bigger area than the other one had been. Their offices, however, were not made of glass. Mac had made sure of that. He wanted his office to have privacy. They had a separate Trace lab now, and the computer lab had more equipment, and the weapons lab was bigger and had its own firing tank. Before, they had to go down to the firing range to fire a weapon. They had a photo lab too.

Mac went into the lab. There was something else missing in the lab today: Jenny. She was out sick with the flu. Peter, Penny and Anthony were staying with Maria, and Mandy was at school. Mac had to go home early today to take care of her, and Jenny. He put his kit on the lab table. "What have we got?" Arthur asked.

Mac gave Arthur the camera. "Develop those," Mac said. "We found a dead body at the Meth Lab. We have to figure out which of these clowns killed him."

Mac analyzed the blood sample. While that was working, he went down to the morgue. Jim was taking the last bullet from the victim. "Mac," he said. "I assume you want your bullets."

"Yes," Mac said.

Jim handed Mac the container. "He was killed by a bullet to the heart," Jim said.

"You find anything else?"

"No, no other traces. Just the bullets so far, and he has trauma to the back of his head, but I believe that occurred after he was dead."

"You find anything else, let me know."

Mac went back up to the lab with the bullets. He scanned them into the system. Then he took the gun that was found at the scene to the weapons lab. He fired the gun into the tank. He retrieved the bullet and then scanned it into the system. However, it did not match the bullets from the victim. Mac blew out a breath. How many forty-fives did these people have?

Mac went to check on his blood sample. It was still analyzing, but it was soon done. He entered it into the system and came up with a match. The victim had been picked up on drug charges before. The blood from the pool definitely matched the victim. Mac knew the man had been shot outside and fell into the pool and then was dragged into the basement and stored in that closet.

Mac and Tim had caught two of the suspects who had fled, but one had escaped. The other four had been taken care of by the other officers. There were two women and the others were men. Mac went downstairs to his other office. Tim came in with the fingerprints and mugshots of the six people they had rounded up at the house. Mac looked at them. "Ernest Moon, Casey Nerren, Hank Myatt, Donald Jennings, Gail Suggs, and Virginia Talley," he said. "And one at large."

"We're still looking for him," Tim said.

"I need to interrogate all these people. Maybe one of them will tell us who the other person is, and maybe we can figure out who killed Chester Freeman."

"Who do you want first?"

"Just bring Ernest Moon in."

Mac went to the interrogation room and waited for the suspect. Tim brought the man in. Ernest Moon sat down in the chair and just stared at Mac. "So, you're Ernest Moon," Mac said.

"Yeah," the man said. "But most people just call me 'Moon'."

Mac looked at the booking sheet on Moon. "You've been arrested twice before for drugs, and now here you are again," he said and looked at him. "You wanta tell me who your other pal was so we don't have to search for him?"

"Naw."

"How about telling me who killed that guy in the basement? Somebody shot him three times and then dragged him from the pool to the basement and stored him in the closet."

"I don't know nothing about that."

"I bet you don't. If I don't find out who did it, I'll let all of you go down for it, cause I just bet that all of you knew you had a dead body in the basement." Mac stared at Moon. "You don't have anything to say?"

"Naw."

Mac looked at Tim. "Bring in the next one. The first one who sings gets a prize." Mac looked at the papers. "Bring me Casey Nerren."

Tim took Moon out and brought another man in. Mac thought this guy looked like he was malnourished. He had seen people who were skin and bones because they were taking drugs instead of eating. "You got anything to say?" Mac asked. "You've been brought in three times on drug charges."

The suspect just looked at Mac. "You expecting to scare me with those eyes?" he asked.

Mac looked at him. "I'm not gonna play around with any of you," he said. "I want to know who killed that guy in the basement, Chester Freeman. And don't tell me you didn't know there was a dead body in the basement."

"I don't have anything to say."

"You sure? Somebody killed that guy, and it was one of you, I assume. All of you can face charges, or the guilty one."

Nerren folded his arms. "So that's the way it is," Mac said.

Tim brought the suspects in one at a time. None of them would tell on the other, until he got to Virginia Talley. Tim brought her in. Mac looked at the woman. She had long, curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was very pretty. "How in the world did you get in this?" Mac asked.

"Things don't always work out for people," Talley said.

"You gonna tell me who killed Chester Freeman?"

"What do I get?"

"Well, since this is your first offense, you'll get probation instead of spending time in jail for this drug bust."

"Glenn Tart. He's the guy who got away, and he's the one who killed Chester. He was jealous of me. He thought Chester and I were fooling around."

"So, he killed him."

"Yes."

"And you knew about it?"

"I wasn't there when it happened. He said he killed him."

"And you just let it go?"

"What could I do?"

"Alright, where can I find this Glenn Tart?"

"He has an apartment at Rose Meadows."

Mac wrote that down. "Rose Meadows? Isn't that an upper class apartment complex?"

"Yes."

"How did you and he get into this?"

"We wanted more money."

Mac rolled his eyes and shook his head. "There are other ways to get it. Do you know the apartment number?"

"Forty-two. It's a luxury apartment."

"Well, his luxury days are over."

Mac let Tim take the woman out. He hoped she was telling the truth. Mac signed papers for the prisoners to be transferred, and then he went out to his office. Tim came to his office. "What are we doing next?" Tim asked.

"We're going to Glenn Tart's apartment and see if he's home," Mac said. "Get a team together."

Mac's phone rang. "Taylor," he said.

"Hi, Taylor," Jenny said.

"Hi, Sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"Rotten."

"You need something?"

"I can hardly get out of bed."

Mac laid his pen down. "You need me to come home and help you with something?"

"Not if you're busy."

"If you need me, I can wait about what I'm about to do, or send somebody else."

"I do need you."

"I'll be there."

Mac put his phone away and went to find Tim. He called Ray. "Barnes," Ray said.

"Ray, I need you to go with Tim to Glenn Tart's apartment," Mac said. "I have to go home a little while."

"Sure. Is Jenny okay?"

"She called, and needs me to come home."

"Alright. You sure you don't want us to wait for you?"

Mac looked at his watch. "Give me an hour," he said. "If I'm not back by then, go on."

"Alright."

Mac told Tim what his plan was, and then went down to his truck. As he drove home, he wondered how much longer this snow would be here. It had been on the ground for a week, which was unusual for this area. Snow usually melted after a day or two. This year had been totally different. This was the second snow storm they had.


	3. Chapter 3

When Mac got home, he went into the house and straight to the bedroom. Jenny was asleep. Mac sat down on the bed. "Honey," he said.

Jenny opened her eyes. "Mac," she said.

Mac touched her face. "You need something for fever?"

"Yes. I feel so bad when I get up, I just want to lay here."

"I'll get it for you."

Mac went into the bathroom and got some Tylenol and then he went and got a bottle of water. "You want me to bring some stuff to the bed for you so you don't have to get up?" he asked.

Jenny swallowed the Tylenol and drank some water. "I want you to bring some water in here," she said.

"Anything else?"

Jenny looked at Mac. "I just wanted to see you," she said.

Mac smiled. "Well, here I am," he said. "I'll bring some stuff in here. You want some books?"

"Yes. That would be good."

"Water and books." Mac looked at her with his sly smile. "You gonna let me choose your books?"

Jenny smiled. "Sure, go ahead."

Mac walked out of the room. "Hmmm, I might bring you some steamy romance novels. They might get you over your fever."

Jenny laughed. She could hear Mac laughing as he went into the living room. He got some water and three books and went back to the bedroom. "These ought to keep you busy," he said.

Jenny looked at the books. "I've already read this one," she said, and handed one of them back to Mac.

Mac looked at the book. "Hey, that looks like the steamiest one," he said.

Jenny smiled. "You're terrible," she said.

"I know." Mac looked at his watch. "I have to get back. We're about to go and try to apprehend a suspect."

"Be careful."

"I will. You rest and don't be worrying."

"I'll try."

Mac kissed Jenny's forehead and then went back out to his truck. He drove back to the precinct and met Ray and Tim at his office. "You ready?" Ray asked.

"Yes, just a minute," Mac said. He went into his office and got his weapon and put his bulletproof vest on. "Hopefully, this guy will just give up when we get there."

"A drug dealer? I kinda doubt that."

"Let's try and be a little optimistic. I'm in no mood to chase somebody through the snow."

"Man, I'm beginning to wonder if this snow is ever gonna melt. I used to want it to snow when I was a kid, but it was always gone after a day or two and we could go back to what we always do." Ray shook his head. "This is unreal."

Mac chuckled. "Try keeping it all winter long." Mac finally got his gun holster on his belt. "This thing just gives me fits sometimes." He shifted the gun until it was more comfortable.

Mac looked at his team. "Let's be careful," he said. "This guy could be armed to the teeth."

They went over to the Rose Meadows. Mac could not believe someone living in this would risk it to play around with drugs. They even had a guard shack at the entrance. Mac left an officer there to make sure the guard did not call and warn Tart that they were coming. Mac thought this place looked like some kind of resort. The apartments looked like townhouses.

Mac found number 42. He had a hard time thinking of these places as apartments. He could imagine what these people paid to live here. He and his team went up to the door and Mac knocked. "Glenn Tart! It's the police, open up!" he yelled. They did not hear anything.

"Ray, come with me," Mac said. "Tim, go through this door."

Mac and Ray headed around back. Just as they were about to come around the back corner of the house, they saw someone running along the fence line that surrounded the entire complex. "Aawww," Mac groaned. He put his weapon in the holster and went after the suspect.

Mac hated chasing people, especially in the snow. The guy knew where he was going too. Ray almost caught the guy as they were coming around a swimming pool, which was covered for the winter. Tart grabbed Ray and shoved him onto the cover, which sagged with Ray's weight on top of the weight of the snow. Ray discovered there was water under that layer of snow. He gasped with the feeling of that cold.

Mac stopped. "Ray!" he exclaimed.

"Keep going!" Ray said. "I'll be fine! Go!"

Mac went on after the suspect. He got his radio and told Tim to help Ray. Mac was determined this guy was not going to get away again. He came around the edge of a building and almost ran right into a woman who screamed. "Sorry!" Mac said, and kept running.

Mac could still see Tart, even though he was weaving between structures. They finally came to a sports complex. Tart grabbed a bat and stopped to face Mac. Mac pulled his weapon out. "Freeze right there," Mac said. "Put that down."

"You're not taking me in," Tart said.

"Yes, I am. You can go the hard way or the easy way."

Tart stared into Mac's green eyes. He knew Mac was not going to be intimidated. Tart threw the bat at Mac and started running again. Mac ducked just in time to avoid being hit in the face. He went after Tart, who had run into a gym. Mac went through the workout room. There were a few people in there and they were surprised when they saw Mac's weapon. Mac showed them his badge. "Where did that guy go who came running in here just now?" he asked.

"He went that way," a woman said, pointing toward the back.

Mac moved that way and discovered the locker rooms. He did not know which way Tart went in there, so he went to the left. Mac found out this was the women's locker room. He went around a row of lockers and there was a woman getting dressed. She threw her robe around herself. Mac looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Ma'am," he said. "I'm after a suspect. Did you see a man come through here?"

"You're the first!" she said, and threw a shoe at Mac. "Get out of here!"

Mac went back the other way. He did not know where Tart could have gone in here. He was about to go over to the men's locker room when he saw Tart coming out. Tart ran toward the gym. Mac went after him. He was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to catch this guy. Tart ran back out the door and headed toward the tennis court.

Mac chased him until he disappeared around one of the buildings. He kept his weapon ready as he came to the corner of the building. He knew Tart could be waiting for him anywhere. It was too quiet. Mac counted to three and looked around the corner. He did not see anybody so he went on down the back of the building. As he was coming by a door, the door was suddenly shoved open and knocked Mac down. Tart came out the door and ran. Mac got up and went after him. He did not think he had ever chased anybody this long.

Suddenly, as Mac was about to round the corner of the building, Tart was waiting for him. He grabbed Mac's weapon and shoved him backward. They both went rolling down the hill, which ended in a big snowdrift. They were buried in the snow. Mac stood up and slung his head to get the snow off. His weapon was lost. He hoped Tart did not have it. Tart stood up and tackled Mac. Mac had never fought in snow like this before. It was up to their thighs in this ditch or whatever they were in.

Tart punched Mac, which felt a lot worse with this freezing snow. Tart was a lot stronger than Mac would have thought. They struggled for a few minutes. Mac punched the guy, and blood gushed from his nose. That seemed to make him angrier. He grabbed Mac around the neck. Mac elbowed him in the stomach. Tart did not let go of him though. He tried to twist Mac's head around, but Mac finally flipped Tart over him. Tart landed on his back, but he got up fast, even in that snow. He dove for the embankment edge and rolled on down the hill.

Mac could not believe it. He went to the edge and tried to run down, but he slipped and slid part of the way. Tart was running again. Mac went after him. He did not think he had ever had this much trouble taking down a suspect. He had lost his weapon in the snow, so now he was going after him unarmed. Tart did not have a weapon though.

Tart was heading for another part of the sports complex. Mac did not know all this was out here. He had never been to this Rose Meadows before. Tart went into another gym. This gym was for basketball and other sports. He was waiting for Mac when he came in the door. He almost smacked Mac in the face with a hockey stick. Mac grabbed the stick and they struggled over it. Tart finally got enough leverage and smacked Mac in the face with the business end of the hockey stick. Mac tasted blood. He twisted the hockey stick and finally got it from Tart.

Tart ran again then. Mac did not know how this guy could have so much energy because he was starting to get tired. He got his radio to tell Tim where he was, but Tart came around the corner with a baseball bat. He knocked the radio out of Mac's hand, and swung the bat at him. Mac ducked and tackled Tart. The man was not ready to give up yet. He still had the bat. He brought the fat part of the bat down into Mac's stomach. Mac's breath left him in a gush. Tart started to hit Mac with the bat again, but Mac grabbed it.

Tart was determined to get the bat from Mac, but Mac was a tough opponent. Tart sat down on Mac and tried to push the bat down onto his throat. Mac pushed up with all his might. He could feel his strength dwindling from all this exertion. He finally got enough momentum to knock Tart off him. Mac got up more slowly this time. He barely got his arms up in time to avoid being hit in the face with the bat. Mac realized he was not going to win this fight if he did not get brutal. He glared at Tart over the bat. "You better give up," Mac said. "I'm just about to lose my patience with you."

Tart almost flinched at the look in Mac's green eyes. For the first time, he thought Mac might actually win. "I don't want to go to jail!" Tart said.

"You should have thought of that before you got into drugs and killed somebody!"

"I didn't kill anybody!"

"Give yourself up and we can go back to the precinct and sort all this out!"

Tart kneed Mac in the groin, then he knocked him down the rest of the way with a slam on his shoulders. Mac started to try and get up, but Tart pushed him back down with the bat in his back. "Stay down!" Tart yelled.

"Give yourself up!" Mac said. "You can't get away with this!"

"Shut up! You cops are all alike!"

Mac felt the bat leave his back. He thought Tart would bash his head in, but he did not. He threw the bat down and ran. Mac got up slowly. He found his radio, but it was smashed. He got his cell phone and called Tim. "Mac, where are you?" Tim exclaimed. "We've been trying to track you down!"

"It's a long story," Mac said, breathlessly. "He's running again." Mac went out the door of the gym. He saw Tart running toward the back part of the fence. "He's heading toward the back of the complex!" Mac found some strength to run. "I lost my weapon."

Tim was quiet a moment. "I'm coming around in my car," he said.

"I think he's going to climb over the fence, or he knows a way out!"

Mac felt exhausted, but he also felt angry. He knew if this guy was guilty of that murder, he was going to make sure he was punished to the fullest extent of the law but he also did not think the man would have thought twice about killing him with that bat when he had him down. As Tart was climbing the fence, Mac reached him and pulled him back down. Tart swung at Mac, but Mac ducked and punched him in the stomach and then the face. Tart hit the ground at full length. He just lay there this time. Mac was trying to get his breath back. "You know, you're making it hard for me to believe you're not guilty," Mac said. He slung his hand, trying to get the feeling to come back. His hands felt like they were frozen, and his feet too. He was wet from the snow, and his lungs were hurting from breathing this cold air.

Mac called Tim again and told him where they were. "I'm almost there," Tim said.

Mac pointed at Tart. "Don't you move," Mac said. He sat down beside the fence. "You know, you could test anybody's strength."

"I wasn't going to be taken easily," Tart said. He was out of breath too. "I didn't kill anybody. What are you talking about?"

Mac tried to take a deep breath, but the air was too cold. "We found a dead body in a closet in the basement of that house. Someone had killed the guy outside and then dragged him into the basement and stored him in that closet. His name is Chester Freeman."

Tart sat up, which made Mac stand up. "Don't try anything," Mac said.

"You mean Chester Freeman is dead?" Tart asked.

"Yes, he's dead. He's been dead for at least a week, rotting in that closet." Mac stared at Tart. He did not believe this guy killed Freeman. "You knew him?"

"Yes, I knew him. He was my half-brother. He wanted out of that drug dealing."

"And what happened?"

"Myatt didn't let anybody out. He didn't like loose tongues wagging around town."

"So, you think he killed Freeman?"

"Yes. I don't know who else would have."

"Well, your girlfriend, Virginia Talley, thought you did. She said you thought she and Freeman had a little thing going."

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm not."

Tart shook his head. "She's crazy. I was about to dump her anyway. I think she's been taking those drugs instead of just selling them."

"If you weren't guilty of the murder, why did you run?"

"I didn't want to go to jail for drugs either."

"You're going for longer now because you ran, and you assaulted me."

"You can't blame me for trying to get away."

Mac shook his head. "You only make things worse for yourself when you run." Mac did not know what it would be like to be facing jail, and have a cop chasing him. He supposed he might want to run too.

Finally, Tim came through the gate at the far end of the fence. Mac let him come down there and get Tart. He had struggled with this prisoner all he wanted to. Mac followed Tim to the car. Mac grimaced. He was sore from that lick he took from the bat. He knew he was not walking all the way back to his truck. He got in the car with Tim and leaned back on the seat.

"Well, I think that was enough workout for the whole weekend," he said. He felt like he was getting his breath back now, although it hurt to take a deep breath. "Turn that heat up."

Mac put his feet closer to the dash so the heat could blow on them. He was shivering now that he was calming down. "I am wet," he said. "I have to find my weapon. I lost it in that big snowdrift."

"You certainly toured the complex," Tim said.

"Is Ray okay?"

"Yes. He was wet too, but we got him out."

When they got back around to the apartment, Mac got in his truck and went to find his weapon. He had to go around the gym to get back where they had gone over the hill. As Mac was coming around the side of the gym, a woman came out the door. She stared at Mac. He realized it was the woman he had walked in and saw in the gym locker room. "What are you doing back here?" she asked, glaring at Mac.

"I was chasing a suspect," Mac said. He showed her his badge. "I'm sorry."

"That doesn't change the fact that you saw me!"

"We'll probably never meet again."

"Oh yeah?" The woman stepped closer to Mac. "You better hope not. If we do, I'm gonna deck you!"

Mac thought she meant it. He walked on around the gym. He thought that woman must be really aggressive. He did not know if he had ever been threatened like that by a woman. He almost laughed. This was turning out to be some day. He had chased a suspect all over this complex and was threatened by a woman. He would have to tell Jenny about that. He hoped Jenny was feeling better. She had been very weak when he went home earlier.

Mac finally came to the place where he lost his weapon. He slid back down the hill and searched for his weapon in the snow. It took a while, but he finally found it. He looked up the hill. It was kinda sloped, so he thought maybe he could climb back up. He slid down a couple of times, but he finally reached the top. Then he saw feet, and someone offered him a hand. Mac grabbed the hand and got on up the hill. When he stood up, he was shocked to see who had helped him. It was the woman from the gym.

Mac wondered if she was going to knock him back down the hill. Instead, she straightened his jacket. "You looked like you needed some help," she said.

"Thanks," Mac said. He was not sure what to think of this.

"Wow, you have beautiful eyes."

Mac put his weapon back in the holster. "I have to get going," he said.

"What's your name?"

"Mac Taylor."

The woman grabbed Mac by the collars and jerked him to her and kissed him. Mac was shocked. "Hey, what are you doing?" he asked.

"You're cute," she said.

Mac backed away from her. "I'm also married," he said. "Thanks for your help." Mac started back to his truck.

"We'll meet again."

Mac looked at her and kept walking. He wished he had not walked in on that woman. What was she going to do, harass him now because he saw her naked? It was an accident. He supposed he could have been more careful.

Mac got in his truck and drove back to the precinct. He was glad his truck had seat warmers. He was freezing, and even wetter now. He went to the locker room and got his extra clothes. He took a hot shower and got dressed. He thought of that woman at the gym. He supposed he would feel embarrassed and upset if some woman came walking in here while he was dressing. He had not known there was anyone in that locker room. That woman was very muscular too.

When Mac was dressed, he went back to his Chief of Detectives office. Tim came in. "The prisoner is ready for interrogation," Tim said.

"Alright," Mac said. "Did you find anything in Tart's apartment?"

"No. No weapons or drugs."

"He said he didn't kill Chester Freeman. He says Hank Myatt did. I want you to get a warrant and go search Myatt's apartment or wherever he lived, and see if you find any weapons there. Oh, and take Ray with you."

"Sure," Tim said.

Mac wrote out his report about the incident, leaving out the part about that woman at the gym. He got his evidence folder and went to the interrogation room. "It's about time somebody came in here," Tart said.  
"How long does a person have to sit and wait for you guys?"

"As long as it takes," Mac said. He sat down at the table. "You say you didn't kill Chester Freeman? Tell me what you know."

"I already told you," Tart said.

"Tell me again."

"Chester wanted out of the drug selling, and Myatt told him that he would get out when he told him he could, and not before. Myatt thinks he owns people when they are selling drugs with him. I'm pretty sure he killed Chester."

"Where is the murder weapon?"

"How should I know?"

"Does Hank Myatt have an apartment or house?"

"He has a trailer out on Old Hickory Road."

Mac wrote that down. He looked at Tart. "Did you think you could get away with making that stuff and selling it?"

"Who knows?"

Mac shook his head. He motioned for the officer to come and get the prisoner. "Bring Hank Myatt in here next," Mac said to the officer. He got some coffee and walked back to his office. He called Tim and told him about the trailer on Old Hickory Road. "Check it out."

"We'll get it," Tim said.

Mac sat down in his chair and drank some of his coffee. He rubbed his stomach where Tart hit him with the bat. It had a dark bruise already. He had looked at it while he was showering. He leaned back in his chair. He felt exhausted and sleepy.

The next thing Mac knew, his secretary was waking him up. "Detective Taylor," she said.

Mac opened his eyes. He sat up. "I fell asleep!" he said. He rubbed his eyes.

"You certainly did. Are you okay?"

"Chasing that suspect wore me out."

"You have another suspect waiting for you in interrogation."

Mac got up. He felt sore. He rubbed that place where Tart had hit him with the bat. It was so sore, he could barely stand to touch it. He got his evidence folder and went to the interrogation room. Hank Myatt was sitting at the table. "I don't have nothing to say to you!" Myatt said.

"I have something to say to you," Mac said. "So why don't you just sit there and listen?"

Myatt glared at Mac. Mac sat down. "You were found in a Meth lab, and there was a dead body in the basement," Mac said. "I've been told that you probably killed Chester Freeman. You got anything to say now?"

"No!"

Mac stared at him a moment. "Your trailer is being searched right now, and if the weapon that killed this man is found there, you're looking at the death penalty. Now, do you want to talk or not?"

"No!" Myatt yelled again. He suddenly stood up and shoved the table over on Mac.

Mac fell backward in his chair. He got up, but the officer at the door got Myatt under control. Mac glared at Myatt. "You better start talking," Mac said. He set the table and chairs back up. "Now, sit down!"

The officer put Myatt back in the chair and cuffed him to it. Myatt glared at Mac, but he did not feel so bold when he saw that green fire in Mac's eyes. He slumped in the chair. "Alright," Myatt said. "Yeah, I killed him. He would have turned us in."

"And now, you're in anyway," Mac said. "You killed him for nothing!"

"He was worthless."

"Maybe to you!"

Mac closed his evidence folder. "Get him out of here," he said to the guard.

Mac went back to his office and dropped the folder on his desk. It was almost two-thirty. Melinda was going to take Mandy home with her today, since they lived close to Goodlettsville. Mac was hungry. He had to get something to eat and he also had to go home and see about Jenny.

Mac looked at his phone messages. There was one from the Commissioner telling him to call him. He got his desk phone and called the Commissioner's office. "Commissioner's office," the secretary said.

"This is Detective Taylor. The Commissioner wanted me to call."

"One moment."

Mac waited. "Detective Taylor," the Commissioner said. "It's about time you called."

"I've been busy. What's going on?"

"I got an interesting phone call today."

"From who?"

"A woman named Mitzi Stark. You know her?"

"No. I can't say I do."

"She says a detective came barging into the women's locker room at the Rose Meadows Gym and saw her naked."

Mac closed his eyes and blew out a breath. "I was chasing a suspect. I didn't know anybody was in there."

"You could have announced your presence."

"Sir, I didn't want the suspect to know where I was. I told that woman I was sorry. She even followed me out where I was looking for my weapon. She helped me back up the hill and then…made a pass at me."

"You met her again when you went back?"

"Yes. She was coming out the door when I was going around the gym. She told me if we ever met again, she would deck me."

"Mac, you sure do get into some precarious situations."

"I can always find the worst."

"She's planning to bring a lawsuit against you unless you do some fancy talking."

"A lawsuit? I didn't touch that woman!"

"That's not what she says."

"You know better than that!"

"Mac, when are you going to learn not to go off chasing suspects alone?"

"I wasn't alone until the suspect shoved Ray into a pool! I had to keep after him. Just what did she say?"

"She says you kissed her and tried to get more."

Mac sat down in his chair. "You have got to be kidding!"

"I would never kid about this."

"I'm not going along with this. This is crazy! I never did anything to that woman! She certainly isn't the first woman I ever saw naked and she probably won't be the last!"

"Mac, I wouldn't mention that when her lawyer comes to talk to you."

"Lawyer? I don't have time for this! I have prisoners to process and reports to write and sign. I have to get up to my lab and get those reports done. I don't have time for some stupid mess like this!"

"You'll have to take time if it's necessary."

Mac looked at his watch. "I have to go home and check on Jenny and eat something," he said. "I'll talk to you later."

"Good-bye, Mac."

Mac hung up the phone. He could not believe this. He headed out of the office. Just as he was about to get on the elevator, Ray and Tim were coming out. "We found a weapon in Hank Myatt's house," Tim said.

"Good," Mac said. "He confessed. Ray, take that up to the lab and test it. I'll be back in a little while."

"Okay," Ray said.

Mac went down to the parking garage. He started to get in his truck, but then someone said. "So, you're Detective Mac Taylor."

Mac looked around to see the woman from the gym. He stared at her. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Wow, I didn't know I was important enough to land a high profiler like you," Mitzi said.

"This lawsuit is ridiculous. Why don't you drop it now?"

Mitzi walked over to Mac. "Nice truck," she said. She looked at Mac. "I'll drop it if you do what I want."

"You trying to blackmail me?"

"Nobody would believe you if you told them. They would just say you're trying to get out of a lawsuit."

"I don't have time for this. I have to go."

Mac started to get into his truck, but Mitzi grabbed him by the collars and kissed him. Mac saw a camera flash. He pushed the woman away. He glared at her. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but it won't work!" Mac said.

"We'll see," Mitzi said.

Mac got in his truck and left. He had seen that camera flash. They had a picture now. He drove home and went in to see about Jenny. She was sleeping when he went into the bedroom. Mac pulled his jacket off and hung it in the bathroom. It was still damp from falling in all that snow.

Mac touched Jenny's face, which startled her. "I'm sorry," Mac said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Jenny stretched. "Oh, I feel so cold," she said.

"You feeling any better?"

"No."

"I thought I would come and check on you and eat something here." Mac sat down on the side of the bed. "I need to tell you about something too."

"What?"

"I hate to tell you this and you sick like that, but I don't want you to find out about it in the newspaper or on the TV."

Jenny touched his hand. "What?"

Mac told her about that woman from the gym. "I don't know what I'm going to do," Mac said. He looked at Jenny. "It was just an accident."

"Oh, Mac. You always find trouble."

"Jenny."

"Why don't you just eat and then try to figure out what to do?"

"I guess."

Mac swallowed. He thought his throat was feeling scratchy. He knew he could be catching that flu Jenny had. He had slept with her last night. He knew he should have slept on the couch, but he did not want to. He went to the kitchen and fixed himself a sandwich. He got a bottle of water and went back to the bedroom. "You want me to fix you some soup?" he asked.

"I think I do feel a little hungry," Jenny said and sat up. "Oh, I feel so bad when I sit up."

"Lay down. I'll fix it for you."

Jenny lay back down and Mac went to the kitchen. He ate his sandwich while the soup was cooking. He thought about his situation. He would be slandered with this, especially after that incident in Waynesboro, where he and Jenny had been caught making out in his truck in the park. Of course, everyone did not know about that, but some of the officers did. Mac knew this was going to be ugly, and he was Chief of Detectives.

Mac got Jenny's soup and carried it to the bedroom. "Anything else?" he asked.

"No. I have plenty of water."

"You want anything else to drink?"

"No, I think water is the best thing for me."

"Probably, but soft drinks help sometimes too. My mother believed in Coca Cola when someone was sick."

Jenny smiled. "Mine too. I suppose I can drink a coke, if you want me to."

Mac smiled. "I'll be glad when I can kiss you again."

"You better stop letting those other women kiss you."

"Hey, I didn't let her kiss me. That woman is strong."

Jenny laughed. "So she took advantage of you?"

"Yeah."

Jenny laughed again. Mac smiled and went to get Jenny a Coke. When he came back to the bedroom, Jenny was sitting on the side of the bed. "I need to go to the bathroom while you're here," she said.

Mac set the Coke on the nightstand. "Okay, I'll wait here for you," he said. "Unless you want me to go with you."

Jenny looked at him. "No, I just want you to be here."

Mac snapped his fingers and then smiled. "You're terrible," Jenny said.

"I have to make you smile," Mac said.

After Jenny went to the bathroom, Mac went back to the office. Ray was waiting for him. "Mac," he said. "What is going on?"

"What do you mean?" Mac asked.

"I mean, about this woman, Mitzi Stark."

"How do you know about that?"

"It's all over the precinct. Everybody knows it."

Mac frowned. He knew it would be this way. Everybody loves a juicy story. Mac went into his office and shut the door. Ray went in. "I'm not wanting gossip," Ray said. "I want to know how I can help you."

Mac sat down at his desk. "I don't have time for this rubbish," he said.

"Well, you better make time, cause this one isn't going away."

"I think when Jenny is well, I'm going to take her and she and I are going away somewhere for a whole two weeks," Mac said. "I can't believe this. I try to get criminals off the street, and this is the thanks I get."

"Come on, Mac, everybody isn't like that."

"She just wants money, and she's not getting it from me."

"She could cause you to lose your job, Mac. Some little cocky lawyer gets hold of this and finds out he can get a big name, he'll drag you through the mud so deep, you'll never get out."

Mac looked at Ray. "You think I don't know that?"

"I'm sorry. I don't want this to happen to you. Tell me what to do."

"I don't know anything to do. She was trying to blackmail me."

"For what?"

Mac shook his head. "Me, that's what."

Ray stared at Mac. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not. She cornered me in the garage when I was going home a while ago and tried to solicit me."

Ray shook his head. "That is not right."

"She was right though. If I told that, everybody would just say I was trying to get rid of her." Mac looked at Ray. "Another thing, she kissed me and somebody took a picture of it."

Ray's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Somebody snapped a picture. She's going to drag me through the mud, alright."

"We'll get proof, Mac. We'll set her up. Chris can wire you for anything."

"I feel like walking out of here right now and not coming back."

"You can't do that! This city needs you!"

"What for? To put up with this kind of trash?"

"Tell me exactly what happened."

Mac leaned back in his chair. "I was chasing Glenn Tart. He ran through the gym and into the locker room. I went in there looking for him, and when I came around some of the lockers, there she was in the buff. She threw her robe around her. I apologized. She threw a shoe at me. Then I saw Tart coming out of the other side of the locker room. I ran after him. I caught him. I lost my weapon in the snow when we fell down that hill, so I had to go back and get it. When I came around the side of the gym, she was coming out. She told me if we met again, she would deck me, so I went on to get my weapon. When I climbed back up the hill, she was standing there and helped me up. Then she grabbed me and kissed me. I told her I was married, and I left."

Ray took a deep breath. "She kissed you?"

"Yeah, she kissed me. I was expecting her to knock me back down the hill." Mac leaned on his desk. "She told me I was cute. Can you believe that? Cute?"

Ray snickered. "Well, at least she didn't say 'sexy'."

"I would rather be called that than 'cute'."

"Mac, women always come on to you. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because of that intense look of yours."

Mac stared at Ray. "I am honest and I look at people directly. I've always done that."

"Women like honesty."

Mac leaned back. "So, if I was a lying pig, they wouldn't come on to me."

"Maybe it's your stature too."

Mac laughed and shook his head. "So, if I was a tall, lying pig, I would be better off."

"Mac, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just kidding." Ray became serious. "I'm gonna find out who this woman is, and I'm gonna find any dirt she may have hidden under her rug."

"I think you need to stay out of this," Mac said. "You could make it worse."

"I promise, I won't make it worse."

Ray got up and left the office. Mac sighed. He looked at the pile of reports on his desk, and the phone messages. There was a message there from Gloria Parish. "What does she want?" Mac wondered. That woman was the prosecutor in the case Mac had reopened two months ago about a rape that happened seven years ago.

Mac got his desk phone and called Gloria Parish. "Hello," the secretary said.

"This is Detective Mac Taylor. I got a message to call Gloria Parish."

"Just a moment."

Mac looked out the window while he waited. The sun was actually peeping through the clouds. Mac hoped it would make everyone feel better when the sun came out. "Detective Taylor," Gloria said.

"Yes," Mac said. "I got a message to call you."

"Yes, I wanted to let you know that I'm representing Mitzi Stark."

Mac was quiet a moment. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know what I mean, Detective."

"You're going to take that ridiculous case? You just jumped at another chance to get at me. You can't stand losing, can you?"

"I figured I was the best candidate. I knew you before you came to Nashville."

"Whatever." Mac hung up the phone. He leaned on his hands. Then someone knocked on his door. "Come in!" he yelled.

The door opened, and Arthur came in. "Mac, are you okay?" he asked.

"No, I am not!" Mac stood up and paced. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"I heard about what's going on."

Mac looked at Arthur. "From who?" Mac asked.

"From Chris."

"Oh yeah?"

Mac went out of his office and went up to the lab, with Arthur following him. "I want all of you to listen up!" Mac said. "If I catch anybody spreading gossip about anything in this lab or anywhere else in this precinct, they will be looking for a job!"

"Uncle Mac, Chris wasn't gossiping," Arthur said. "We were concerned about you."

Mac looked at Arthur who almost took a step back. "Don't talk about this anywhere! I have enough trouble. I don't need…" Mac left the lab.

Chris looked at Arthur. "I'll talk to him," Arthur whispered. "He's just upset."

Arthur went out in the hall, where Mac was sitting beside the wall. "Why do I even try?" he asked.

Arthur squatted beside Mac. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Why do I try? Nobody appreciates what we do."

"Yes, they do, Mac."

Mac shook his head. "All they want is to find a way to bring somebody down."

"Mac, you'll get through this. You're a good man. Nobody is going to believe that you did this."

"People believe what the press wants them to believe, and they love a juicy story."

"Then tell them the truth."

Mac looked at Arthur. "What?"

"Tell them the truth before the press can blow it up."

Mac blew out a breath. "I'm sorry for yelling at y'all. I know you wouldn't gossip."

"We just want to help you."

"You can't. I'm in this by myself." Mac got up and went into the lab. He told Chris that he was sorry for yelling at him. Then he walked around the lab. He did not have enough people to have a lab this big anymore. Stella was on Maternity leave, Jenny was sick. Mac looked in where people were working on his new office. He wondered if he would even get to use it.

Mac went to the elevator. "Mac, do you want us to do anything?" Arthur asked.

"Just work on the stuff from the hospitals," Mac said.

Mac went on down to his office and looked at his other phone messages. The Mayor had called, and the Commissioner. Someone knocked on his door. "Come in," Mac said.

Glenda Kennedy came in. She was one of the detectives. "Detective Taylor," she said. Glenda had blond hair and brown eyes, and she was 5'8".

"I don't have the reports signed yet," Mac said. "I'm trying to get to them."

"Detective, I'm not here about the reports."

Mac looked at her. "What do you want then?"

Glenda started to close the door. "No, leave it open," Mac said. He did not want any more women accusing him of anything.

"I don't think anybody else needs to hear this," Glenda said.

"I'll risk it. I'm already in a mess. I don't need to be in my office with a woman with my door closed."

"I understand, Detective Taylor, but I am one of your employees."

"Just tell me what you want."

Glenda came over to Mac's desk and leaned on the desk "I know Mitzi Stark," Glenda whispered. "She has tried this before. You can dig up those past cases and get this mess out of your way. I know you're a good man, Detective, and I will not stand around and let that flusy do this to you."

Mac looked at her a moment. "Who did she do this to?"

"Martin Reese."

Mac frowned. "I didn't know anything about it," he said.

"It was before you came here."

"What happened?"

"You don't want to know, but this is the same woman. You give this case to me. I'll put a stop to this before it gets started."

"You'll have to work with Ray Barnes, my second in command in the lab. He's already on this case. Everybody seems to want this case."

"We don't want our leader undermined, and we won't stand for it."

Mac did not know what to say to that. "I won't stop you from doing whatever you can."

"Thanks."

Glenda left the office and closed the door. Mac turned his chair around toward the window. He looked at the snow still on the ground. There was water dripping off the roof, and falling past the window. The phone beeped. Mac turned around and pressed the button. "Yes?" he said.

"Detective," Dorothy said. "The Mayor is on line one."

"Thanks."

Mac looked at the phone blinking that there was a call on line one. He picked up the phone. "Taylor," he said.

"Detective Taylor," Mayor Metcalfe said. "I need you to come to my office."

"Sir, if this is about…"

"I don't want to talk about this on the phone. Come to my office."

"Yes, sir."

Mac hung up the phone. He wished Jenny were here. At least she could go with him. He got his phone and called Jenny. "Hello," Jenny said, and then coughed.

"Sweetheart," Mac said. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think maybe I feel a little better. Are you okay?"

"No. I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Everything will work out, Darling, because you 'are' a darling. Nobody can convict you of something like that."

"I'm beginning to wonder. That lawyer that tried to convict me of murdering Clay Dobson in New York is here and she's trying to convict me of this."

"Who is Clay Dobson?"

Mac leaned on his hand. Jenny did not even know about that. "It was something that happened a long time ago. I have to go see the Mayor. I'll tell you about it sometime."

"It will be okay."

"Pray for me."

"I will."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Mac put his phone away and put his coat on. He looked at his cane that was hanging on the coat rack. He did not need it anymore, but he liked to just carry it sometimes. He took it off the rack and carried it with him. He drove down to the Mayor's office. The secretary was at her desk. "The Mayor wants to see me," Mac said, frowning.

The secretary picked up her phone and then put it down. "Detective Taylor," she said. "I just want to say that I am on your side."

"Thanks."

The secretary told the Mayor that Mac was there. "Send him in," the Mayor said.

Mac went into the Mayor's office. "Detective," Mayor Metcalfe said. He shook Mac's hand. "Have a seat."

Mac sat down. "Sir, I…"

"Don't say anything yet." The Mayor got his TV remote. "I want you to see something. Did you see the news a while ago?"

"No, sir, I would just as soon not hear them talk about me like I'm a pervert."

"Just watch this."

The Mayor turned the TV on. Mac saw Alexander Morris. He was talking about what Mac had done for him. "He proved that I wasn't guilty, even after my father tried to kill him twice," Alexander said. "He offered my job back. This city can't let this happen to someone like Detective Taylor."

"I agree!" someone else in the crowd said. The camera swung around, and Mac saw Ralph coming through the crowd. He told about Mac too.

Mac looked down at the floor. He did not know what to say. The Mayor turned the TV off. "You know, I think a man can be proud when he is good enough to have the city behind him like that," Metcalfe said. He looked at Mac. "Don't you agree?"

Mac still did not know what to say so he just sat there feeling lost. "They can't stop what's going on," Mac said.

Metcalfe stared at Mac. "Are you kidding?" he asked. "That lawyer will give this case up, or she'll lose her profession. She will not want to go against all this."

"You don't know Gloria Parish," Mac said. "She was ruthless in New York against me. She wanted to make me a monster."

"Doesn't matter. This city loves you, Mac. Just let it blow over."

Mac leaned back in the chair. "I think I need a few days off," he said.

"That's not my department."

"Yes, sir."

"Cheer up, Mac. This will be over in a few days."

"Thanks."


	4. Chapter 4

Mac went back to his office. He sat in his chair and signed the reports on his desk. After a while, Ray came into his office, along with Glenda Kennedy. "Mac, we have all this information on Mitzi Stark," Ray said.

Mac looked at them. "What do we do with it now?" he asked.

"If they take you to court, we'll use it," Glenda said.

Mac looked at his reports. "I think I'm going to take a few days off," he said.

"Mac, don't let them do this to you," Ray said.

"There's only so much a person can take. Then, it's just time to quit."

"You don't mean that," Glenda said.

"I don't know, but I'm not going to sit around here while they accuse me of sexual harassment."

Ray looked at Glenda. "Mac, I don't think they'll go through with this," Ray said. "Haven't you seen the news?"

"Yes, I've seen that, and I've seen the people outside this precinct."

Mac's phone beeped. He pressed the button. "Yes?" he asked.

"Detective, there is a Vanessa Warren on line one," Dorothy said. "She says she's from Nashville News at Six."

"Thanks." Mac picked up the phone. "This is Detective Taylor."

"Hi, I'm Vanessa Warren from Nashville News at six. I was wondering if I could interview you about your situation."

"What for? So you can make me into a monster?"

"No, so I can help you. I want to show everyone what a hero you are."

"I'm not a hero. I'm just doing my job."

"Will you let me interview you or not?"

Mac looked at Ray and Glenda. They were waiting for him too. "Why not?" Mac asked.

"Great. When can I see you?"

"How about around five?"

"Yes, and then I can get it on at six, maybe."

"Okay."

Mac hung up the phone. "Great!" Glenda said. "This ought to get this out of your way."

Ray folded his arms. "Mac, cheer up," he said. "It's going to be alright."

"Okay," Mac said. "I have to get all this work done so I can go home and get ready for that interview."

Ray and Glenda left the office. "I've got somewhere to go," Ray said.

"Like where?" Glenda asked.

"I'm going to make sure that reporter has this information on Mitzi Stark."

"I'm going with you."

Mac finished signing his reports and headed out the door. Just as he was coming out, Dorothy was coming around the corner. "Detective," she said.

"You can call me Mac."

"I would rather just call you Detective Taylor."

"Okay. I have to get home and get ready for my interview later."

"The Commissioner called again. He said tell you to get your…self up to his office."

Mac looked at his watch. "Call him back and tell him I have an appointment with Vanessa Warren from the six o'clock news. I have to get ready."

"I don't think he's going to like that. He seemed angry that you haven't already been up there."

"Well, the Mayor called and told me to come to his office. I couldn't go to both."

"I think you better go up there."

"I don't have time."

Mac headed for the elevator. "Is that what you want me to tell him?" Dorothy asked.

"Yeah, go ahead and tell him," Mac said. He got into the elevator.

When Mac got home, Jenny was sitting on the couch with a blanket around her. "Hey," Mac said. "You must be feeling better."

"Not really, but I was tired of lying in bed," Jenny said.

"I have to get ready for an interview. Did Melinda get Mandy?"

"Yes. They are at Melinda's house."

"Good. I'll stop by there later and see her if I can. I feel like I'm running a race."

"I sure will be glad when I can kiss you again."

"You won't be the only one."

Mac got a shower and got dressed in his black suit and green shirt. He had a black tie with green designs on it. He wondered where Jenny had found that tie. It perfectly matched this shirt and suit. He put his gold pocket watch on. He looked at the watch. At least, if Jenny couldn't go with him, he could have this with him. He went back into the living room. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Very handsome," Jenny said.

Mac sat down beside Jenny. "I wish you could go with me," he said.

Jenny touched his face. "You're going to do fine," she said.

"I don't like doing interviews. You never know what they're going to ask you."

"It will be okay."

"I hope she doesn't have the opposing team there."

"I don't think she would do that to you. She is the same one who helped you the last time, right?"

"I think so. She must have gotten married. Her last name is different."

"She was good to you the last time."

Mac propped on his hand on his knee and blew out a breath. "It's ridiculous to have to do something like this."

Jenny wished she could hug and kiss him, but she did not want to give him this flu. "I love you," she said.

Mac looked at Jenny. He pulled her to him and hugged her. "I love you too," he said.

"You just tell the truth, and everything will go fine."

"I intend to tell the truth. I always do." Mac held Jenny to him a while longer.

Mac went out to his truck and went to the news studio. He went in to the front desk. "May I help you?" the woman at the desk asked.

"I have an appointment to see Vanessa Warren," Mac said.

"One moment."

Mac waited while the woman called and told Ms. Warren that he was there. Soon, Vanessa came out to find Mac. She smiled. "Detective Taylor," she said. "It's nice to see you again."

Mac shook her hand. "Likewise," he said.

"Come into my office."

Mac followed her to her office. Vanessa sat down behind her desk, and offered Mac a chair. "So, Detective Taylor," Vanessa said. "You wanta tell me what happened?"

Mac looked at the camera that was set up in the office. He told her the whole story about chasing the suspect. He left out the little detail about meeting Mitzi Stark again when he went back to retrieve his weapon. He did not want to tell about that. "You didn't leave anything out did you?" Vanessa asked.

Mac looked down at his hands. "Nothing that I want to tell about," he said.

"Come on, Detective Taylor. You can't leave anything out, because if you do, she's going to twist it around to her favor."

"Alright." Mac looked at Vanessa. "When I went back to retrieve my weapon, I had to go around the gym, and when I went by the side door, Mitzi was coming out. She told me if she ever saw me again, she would deck me. So, I went on to the area where I lost my gun, and I searched and found it. I climbed back up the hill, and she was standing there, even offered me a hand getting up the hill. I didn't know who it was until I got up there. Then I thought she would knock me back down the hill. But, instead, she kissed me and told me I was 'cute'."

"'She' kissed 'you'?"

"Yes. I told her I was married and left, and she said 'we'll meet again'."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, that's what she said."

"Thank you, Detective. I'll get this edited and on the air."

"Thanks."

Mac left the TV station and went to Arthur and Melinda's house. He rang the doorbell. Arthur opened the door. "Hi, Mac, come on in," he said.

Mac went into the house. "Daddy!" Mandy exclaimed.

Mac scooped her up in his arms. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"Did you get your homework done?"

"Yes. Melinda helped me."

"Good."

"Can I go home, Daddy?"

Mac wanted to say 'yes', but he did not want her to catch that flu if they could prevent it. "I think you should stay here tonight, Little One," he said. "Mommy is pretty sick, and I might have to go off on a case. She's not able to take care of you, and we don't want you to catch what she has."

Mandy hugged Mac. "But, Daddy, I want to go with you," she said.

"I tell you what: we'll go out to eat and then you stay here with Arthur and Melinda tonight. Mommy might be feeling better tomorrow."

"Okay."

Mac looked at Arthur and Melinda. "We'll be back in a little while," he said. Mac put Mandy's coat on.

They went to the Olive Garden. "I think we'll have something wholesome tonight," he said.

They went into the restaurant and got in line. "So, how was school today?" Mac asked.

"It wasn't fun," Mandy said.

"Why?"

"We couldn't go outside. The teacher said it was too cold."

"Oh. She was probably right. You wouldn't want to get too cold and catch a cold or get a sore throat."

"How do you catch a cold, Daddy?"

"Well, a cold is caused by a virus, and it just gets in your body and makes you sick."

"Why?"

"Because, it's not supposed to be there."

"Daddy, how does the virus get there?"

"You breathe it in or eat it."

"Eeewww."

Mac smiled. "Eewww, is right."

They finally got a table and sat down. Mac noticed the TV was on the local news channel. Vanessa Warren was talking, then Mac saw himself. He was glad Mandy had her back to the TV, but then Mandy pointed behind Mac and said, "Look, Daddy, you're on TV."

"SShhhh," Mac said. "I don't want everybody to know it's me."

"Is it a secret?"

"It is right now."

Mac looked around. No one seemed to be looking at him. He could hear himself talking. He did not want Mandy to hear that. "What do you want to eat?" he asked.

"I want chicken," Mandy said.

"You want alfredo chicken and pasta?"

"Yes."

"I think I am going to try something else. I think I want chicken teriyaki."

"Daddy, who is that woman you're talking to on TV?"

"She's a reporter."

"Do you think she's pretty?"

Mac looked at Mandy. "I guess she's pretty," he said.

"I think she's pretty too."

"Mommy is prettier."

"Yeah. When will Mommy get well?"

"In a day or two."

"I'll be glad when she gets well."

"Daddy will too."

Mac's phone rang. He took it off his side. "Hello," he said.

"Mac, where are you?" Jenny asked.

"I am having dinner with a very beautiful young lady."

Jenny smiled. "How is our little one?"

"She is just fine. She has all her homework done."

"Good." Jenny coughed. "Oh, I have been doing that today."

"I thought I was going to get that this morning. My throat was scratchy."

"I hope you don't."

"We're about to order."

"Okay, I'll let you go."

"I'll be home after I take Mandy back to Melinda's."

"Okay."

Mac put his phone away and ordered their food. After they ate, Mac took Mandy back to Melinda and Arthur's, and went home. Jenny was back in bed. Mac went into the bedroom. "I saw the report," Jenny said.

"What did you think?" Mac asked.

"I thought you did very well."

"I just hope it was worth it."

"I think it was."

Mac got into his pajamas and got into bed. "I need a vacation," he said.

"We'll go to the Bahamas for our anniversary," Jenny said.

"I think I would like that."

Jenny thought Mac looked sad. "Don't worry about this," she said.

"I'm trying not to," Mac said.


	5. Chapter 5

Mac was awakened around Midnight by his phone. "Taylor," he said, sleepily.

"Mac, we have a body," Tim said.

"Where?"

"Over at Rose Meadows."

"Rose Meadows?"

"Yes, at the gym."

"Okay, I'll be there."

Mac dragged himself out of bed and got dressed in black jeans, dress shirt and his black sweater. "Be careful," Jenny said.

"I will," Mac said. He went out to his Avalanche and went over to Rose Meadows. He was surprised to find a mob of reporters there already.

Mac got out of the truck and got his forensics kit. He thought he might as well face the press now. They surrounded him as he was walking toward the crime scene. "Detective Taylor," one reporter said. "Did you kill Mitzi Stark?"

Mac stared at her in confusion. "What?" he asked.

"Did you kill Mitzi Stark to keep her quiet?"

Mac stopped and stared toward the gym. The reporters were all taking pictures of him and asking him questions that he did not hear. Ray came out of the gym. He saw Mac in the middle of the reporters with a bewildered look on his face. Ray got through the reporters and pulled Mac out. "Come on," Ray said.

Ray pulled Mac into the gym. Mac was shocked to see Mitzi Stark lying naked and dead in the floor of the locker room. "What happened?" Mac asked.

"Mac, I don't really think you should be here," Ray said.

Mac looked at him. "Why? I just got a call that there was a body here. I had no idea that it was her."

Tim came over to Mac looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. "Mac…" Tim looked at Ray. "I can't do this," Tim said. "Give this case to somebody else." Tim went out the door.

Mac looked at Ray. "I'm a suspect?" Mac asked.

"Not to me," Ray said.

"Not to you, huh?"

Ray could see Mac was upset. "Mac, there is no way they can convict you of this murder," Ray said.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Mac said. "This woman accused me of sexual harassment, and now, she's been murdered. What does that look like to you?"

"A coincidence." Ray got his pen and notepad out. "I do have to ask you where you were around eight."

Mac thought. "I did the interview with Vanessa Warren at around five, then I went to Arthur and Melinda's to see about Mandy. I guess I got there around five forty-five. Then I took Mandy out to eat at the Olive Garden. We were there while the six o'clock news was on because I saw my interview. I don't really know what time we left the restaurant. I took Mandy back to Melinda and went home. I just went to bed. Ask Jenny, she knows I came home and got in bed. I think it was around eight when I got home."

Ray wrote that down. "Mac, you know you can't work on this case," he said.

"Why was I even called?" Mac asked.

"You're the head of the crime lab and the chief of detectives."

"Yeah, well, I guess that doesn't mean much!" Mac went out the door. The reporters came toward him. "Get out of my way!" Mac got in his truck and left.

Ray looked at the victim. Why did this have to happen now? Ray squatted beside the victim. He thought she had definitely fought her attacker. She had bruises on her face and body. Ray covered her up. He did not know if she had been raped. The ME would have to determine that. Ray scraped under her nails. She had scratched her attacker too. The killing wound was a gunshot to her chest. Ray looked at the wound. He hoped that did not turn out to be a police issue weapon that fired that bullet. He thought if someone had it in for Mac, they would use his weapon to do this and he always left it in his office. Ray turned the body over to the ME.

Ray went into the locker room. He could see where Mitzi had struggled with her attacker. He found a wet towel. He thought she must have just come out of the shower when she was attacked. He put the towel in a bag. Then he searched through the open locker where he found Mitzi's purse and other belongings. He looked through the purse, but he did not find anything pointing to a boyfriend. Ray looked through the locker room.

While Ray was doing that, Arthur came in. "What is going on?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know," Ray said. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"Have you seen what they're saying on TV already? They are accusing Mac of murder!"

"What?"

"It's already on the 'special' news report!"

Ray wished he could go out there and destroy every one of those news cameras. "We have to do something about this," Ray said. "This is crazy! Somebody did this because they knew Mac would be accused."

Arthur rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe this. What do you want me to do?"

"I'm searching these locker rooms. We have to search this whole area, and outside."

"Where's Tim?"

"He doesn't want anything to do with this. He left."

"What? Doesn't he know Mac needs us all?"

"If they decide to arrest Mac, do you know who would have to do it?"

Arthur stared at Ray. "You think it will come to that?"

"I don't know, Arthur."

"This is crazy! Mac would never commit murder! Where is Mac anyway?"

"I don't know now. He left too."

Ray and Arthur searched the locker rooms and showers. They took samples of the blood they found on the floor. Next, they went outside to search. An officer came to Ray. "I found this in that garbage can back there," he said, holding up a bag with a condom in it.

Ray looked at it. "She could have been raped," he said. He put the evidence in his kit. "There's no obvious reason for this to be outside."

They went back to the lab. Ray went to Mac's office downstairs, but Mac was not there. He tried to call Mac, but he did not answer. Ray looked to see if Mac's weapon was in his desk. It was there, but the gun was not in the holster, it was lying in the drawer beside the holster. Ray did not like the way all this was looking. If Mac disappeared, he would really look guilty.

Ray went back up to the lab. "Was he there?" Arthur asked.

"No," Ray said. "His weapon is in his drawer like he always leaves it, but it wasn't in the holster."

"Ray, who would want to frame Mac?"

"I don't know. Let's just analyze this stuff and see what comes up."

Ray and Arthur worked on the evidence the rest of the night. The bullet turned out to be a police issue. "We 'have' to test Mac's gun," Arthur said. "You know that, Ray! If we don't, we'll look like we're trying to cover something up."

"I don't care! Mac deserves to have the benefit of the doubt!"

"I'll go get it myself."

Arthur went to the elevator and went down to Mac's office. He had the camera with him. He found Mac's weapon in the drawer where Mac always kept it. Arthur took pictures of the weapon. Then he bagged it and the holster and took fingerprints from the desk and drawer. He started out of the office, and Glenda Kennedy was standing in the doorway, and some other detectives were there. "You're not going to do this, are you?" Glenda asked. "You of all people! He's your uncle!"

"That's why I have to do this right!" Arthur said. "You think I 'want' to do it?"

"You know he didn't murder anybody."

"Yes, I know it, but we have to prove it! So get out of my way."

They all moved and let Arthur out, but just as he was about to get in the elevator, the Commissioner was coming out. "Where is Detective Taylor?" he asked.

"I don't know," Arthur said. "He left the crime scene and we haven't seen him since."

"He was at the crime scene?"

"He was only there a few minutes. He didn't touch anything. He had gotten the call to come out there."

"And you don't know where he is now?"

"No."

"Arthur, if he contacts you, tell him to come to my office. He can't disappear."

"Yes, sir."

Arthur got into the elevator and went back up to the lab. Ray was still in the lab. "I'm not helping you with that," Ray said.

Arthur tested the gun to see if it had been fired. It had. He checked the load. There was one round missing. He fired the weapon into the tank and then went to Ray. "You need to test this bullet," Arthur said. "If I do it, it could be compromised."

Ray looked at the bullet. "It might be compromised if 'I' do it," he said.

"Just do it. I'll watch."

Ray took the bullet and ran it against the bullet from the victim. It matched. Ray and Arthur just stared at the screen. "This can't be right," Ray said. "If Mac was going to kill somebody, he would not be so careless as to use his own weapon!"

"I don't think that's a very good defense, Ray," Arthur said.

"Why don't you give a better one? When this gets out, they'll try to convict Mac of murder!"

"I can't believe this. This is crazy. We know Mac did not murder anybody. I thought the people who wanted rid of Mac are out now."

"Obviously not! Who else could have gone in there and got his weapon?"

"It would have to be a cop."

"There's somebody else." Ray looked at Arthur. "We have to find out who all is connected to Brandon in any way, and to Chief Sterns. He could have something to do with this."

Arthur leaned on the counter. "I don't know what I'm going to do if we have to arrest Mac," he said.

"You won't," Ray said. "They'll throw us off the case and let the Inspector's office take it over."

"That new inspector. He doesn't really know Mac."

"Maybe that's what we need is somebody who doesn't know him. If he proves Mac didn't do it, it would be unquestionable."

"Are you saying we should get off this case?" Ray asked.

"No, but I know I don't want Uncle Mac sent to prison."

"He is not going to prison!"

"We have to get Mac's DNA."

"Just hold on," Ray said.

"We have to, Ray."

Ray knew Arthur was right. "We don't even know where he is," Ray said.

"Let's go to his house," Arthur said.


	6. Chapter 6

They went down to Ray's truck and drove to Mac's house. Mac's truck was in the garage. Ray and Arthur went to the door, and Ray rang the doorbell. Mac opened the door slowly. "I've been expecting you," he said.

"We're sorry about this, Mac," Ray said. "We have to take your DNA."

Mac stared at them. "Go ahead," he said.

Mac let them into the house. Jenny came from the bedroom. She glared at Arthur and Ray. "How can you accuse him of murder?" she asked.

"Jenny, just relax," Mac said. "They have to do this."

Arthur knew Jenny was steaming mad, and he also knew when Melinda found out that he was here getting Mac's DNA, he would be in hot water with her. Ray took a swab out of his kit. He looked at Mac. "I'm sorry about this, Mac," he said.

"Just do it," Mac said. He opened his mouth, and Ray swabbed the inside.

Ray put the swab in the case. "I also have to test your hands for gunshot residue," he said. "Your weapon matches the bullet that killed Mitzi Stark, Mac."

Mac did not say anything, he just held out his hands. Ray swabbed his hands. "Did you fire your weapon at all yesterday?" Ray asked.

"No," Mac said. "I had it out."

Ray sprayed the swab, but there was no gunshot residue. "Well, at least that's negative," he said. He looked at Mac. "I have to get a blood sample too."

Mac pulled his sleeve up. Jenny folded her arms and glared at Ray. "I can't believe this," she said.

"Honey, just relax," Mac said. "He's doing his job."

"Don't tell me to relax!"

Mac looked at Jenny. "You shouldn't be getting upset like this," he said. "You're sick."

"I know that! I'll be at that lab in just a little while!" Jenny went down the hall and into her bedroom and slammed the door.

Mac looked at Ray. "She's just upset," Mac said.

Ray rolled his eyes. "I can understand that," he said. "I hope I don't hurt you with this needle. I feel like I'm shaking all over."

"Just try to relax."

"I've done this to people before, but I would have never thought I would be doing it to you." Ray tied a rubber strap around Mac's arm. "At least you have good veins."

"Yeah, don't blow any of them," Mac said.

"Don't say that." Ray got his needle ready. He looked at Mac. "You ready?"

"Yes."

Ray stuck the needle into Mac's arm. Mac looked up at the ceiling. He could not imagine who could set him up like this. Where would they get his DNA? Where would they get his blood? He had not lost any blood that anybody could have gotten. He had quite a bit of blood drawn at the hospital. He did not know how much blood they drew when he was in there with his back. He had been asleep for a whole week.

Ray was finally done, and he put a bandage on Mac's arm. "We'll have to analyze this at the lab," Ray said.

Mac looked at him. "Just do your best no matter what happens," he said.

"I won't stand aside and let them convict you of murder."

"They tried to convict me of murdering Clay Dobson, but it didn't work. It won't work this time either."

Ray got his evidence into his kit and he and Arthur left. When Jenny was ready, she came back to the living room. Mac caught her hand. "Honey, don't go down there," he said.

"I have to," Jenny said.

"No, you don't. I don't want you to go."

"I'm sorry, but I'm going anyway."

"Jenny, whoever is setting me up is doing a thorough job."

Jenny looked at Mac. "I won't let them convict you of murder!" she declared. "I don't care if they find your DNA all over that woman."

"I'm pretty sure that blood at the scene is going to match. They wouldn't let a silly thing like that go by undetected."

"Mac, what do you plan to do?"

Mac sat down on the couch. "Nothing."

Jenny folded her arms and shook her head. "I can't believe you're giving up," she said.

"I'm not giving up," Mac said. "If I go down there and try to get involved in all that, I'll look even more guilty."

"Oh, brother!" Jenny put her coat on. "That's ridiculous. Nobody can blame you for trying to defend yourself!"

"I don't know how! I don't know how they got my weapon, I don't know why they killed that woman. I don't know how any of this happened!"

"I am certainly going to find out." Jenny got her keys and purse and went out the door.

Mac lay down on the couch. He supposed he could go in to the office. He did not know what good it would do. He figured it would be easier for them to find him when they decided to arrest him instead of embarrassing him in front of his neighbors.

While Ray was running the DNA test, Jenny came in. Ray thought she looked like she should be in bed. "What are you doing here?" Ray asked.

"I'm not going to lie in bed at home while you convict my husband of murder," Jenny said.

"I am not trying to convict him of murder," Ray said. "I'm trying to do this right so there won't be any questions when we prove he didn't do it."

"What have you got so far?"

"The bullet from the victim matches Mac's weapon. I am running the DNA now."

Jenny looked at Arthur, who was sitting on a stool beside the counter. "Mac thinks the DNA is going to match," she said. "He thinks somebody is setting him up, and doing a good job."

The computer beeped. Ray looked at Jenny, and then looked at the analysis. Ray leaned on the counter. "He's right," he said. He turned the screen around so Jenny and Arthur could see.

Jenny covered her face with her hands a moment. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

Arthur looked at them both. "Without that DNA test, they can't prove Mac did this," he said. "He didn't have any GSR on his hands."

"He's a cop," Ray said. "He would know he had to get it off, or he would wear gloves. It was his weapon, and what are you getting at?"

"DNA is indisputable. If they don't have that test, they can't convict him."

Ray stared at Arthur. "If you're saying what I think you're saying, you stop saying it," Ray said. "There's no way we can destroy evidence."

"I didn't say destroy it. Why can't it conveniently get lost for a while? Just until we figure out what's going on."

"We could lose our jobs."

"I would give up this job to keep this from happening to Mac. He didn't murder that woman."

"Hold on!" Jenny said. "Mac would not want that. We are not doing anything illegal. We're going to do this the right way. If something like that happened, it would really make Mac look guilty when it was found out."

"It was a thought," Arthur said.

Jenny looked at the computer screen. "Was there any other evidence?" she asked. "The woman was raped, right?"

"Yes," Ray said. "There was just a trace of sperm in the condom, but the spermicide ruined the sample."

"Sperm?"

"Yeah, but not enough to match."

Jenny folded her arms. "Have you forgotten that Mac had a vasectomy?" she asked.

Ray's mouth dropped open. He stared at the screen. "It couldn't have been him then," he said.

"See? Whoever did this didn't know that he had a vasectomy."

"What about the blood, though?"

Arthur got the pictures of the crime scene. "I was thinking about that…"

They heard the elevator. The new chief inspector came into the lab. Ray had been expecting this. "You know what I'm here for," the inspector, George Tate, said. He looked at them. "I haven't worked with Detective Taylor, but I have heard plenty about him, and we'll do our best to get him out of this if he isn't guilty."

"'If?'" Jenny said. "I don't want to hear you say 'if'! Mac would never do something like this!"

"Hey," Ray said. "We can prove Mac didn't do it." He printed out the evidence about the condom and gave it to the inspector. "Mac had a vasectomy. This couldn't be him. Whoever did this didn't know Mac had a vasectomy."

The Inspector looked at the paper. "Well, that is very strong evidence, but what about his weapon?"

"We're trying to figure that out," Arthur said. "Mac didn't have any GSR on his hands."

"I need all this evidence."

Arthur still had the picture from the crime scene. He folded it and put it in his pocket. He had an idea about that crime scene. The inspector and his team took the evidence and left the lab. "I knew that was going to happen," Ray said.

Arthur came over to Ray. "Look," Arthur said, and unfolded the picture.

"How did you get this?" Ray asked.

"I had it in my hand and I just didn't give it to them. I wanted to show you something."

Ray looked at the picture. "You see the blood drops?" Arthur asked. "See how rounded they are?"

"Yes," Ray said. "So?"

"If blood splattered on that floor, it would be like sunrays around the edges, not smooth like this. You see what I'm saying?"

Ray and Jenny looked closer at the picture. "Yeah, I see," Ray said. "These are smooth around the edges. If the blood was spatter, it would be like you said, and if it was dripped from the killer, it would splatter."

Arthur nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I think somebody got some of Mac's blood somehow, and they dropped it from a dropper like that so we would find it."

Jenny took the picture and looked closer. "I want to see this crime scene," she said.

"You can't do that," Ray said. "If you go there, they can say you tampered with evidence to get your husband off."


	7. Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Mac went to the office. When he got to his office, the Chief Inspector was in there. Mac frowned. "Detective Taylor," the Inspector said. He offered his hand to Mac. "I'm the new Chief Inspector, George Tate."

Mac shook his hand. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, quietly.

"I'm working on your case."

"What about my team?"

"They have done some work. Don't worry, Detective, they have already almost proven your case. All we have to do now is figure out how someone got your weapon and your blood."

"No one could get my weapon except someone who has access to this office. I left it here like I always do."

"Tell me where you were last night."

Mac sat down on the couch. "I'm not taking over your office," Tate said. "You can come to your desk. I was just dusting for more fingerprints."

Mac told him where he went the night before. "I went home and went to bed. I got a call around Midnight that there was a body, so I went out there, and I found out it was Mitzi Stark."

"Who's got it in for you, Detective?"

"I thought all those were already gone. I don't know."

"I'm going to do my best to find out. In the meantime, you're not to go on any cases, or investigate any evidence."

"You're not taking my office, but you're taking my job." Mac nodded. "That's about the same thing."

"You can't expect anything else. You might get worse before this is over."

Mac looked at him. "Like what? Are you saying you're going to arrest me?"

"I don't know what's going to happen. There's a mob of people out there who will eat this story up. They think the police department…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've heard this whole story before. They think we are above the law. I don't want to hear that again. I don't think I'm above the law, but I do think that I should have earned enough respect around here that you, and the Commissioner and the Mayor should stand up for me!"

"I don't really know you, Detective."

Mac sighed. "Yeah, that's what I need, an Inspector that doesn't know me."

The Commissioner came in then. "Detective," he said. "It's about time you showed up."

Mac stood up. "I didn't know if I should come in or not," he said.

"Where's your forensics team at? I figured they would all be in here."

"They're up at the lab."

"You know anything about what they've found?"

"No. All I know is Ray came to my house and took a blood sample and a DNA sample."

"And what was the result of that?"

"I don't know. I haven't talked to him again."

"I know the results," Tate said. "The DNA was a match. However, the condom had compromised sperm cells, which I have been informed that Detective Taylor has had a vasectomy, so it couldn't have been his."

Mac stared at Tate. "You heard all this from Ray and the others?" he asked.

"Yes," Tate said.

"But, Detective Taylor's weapon has been proven to be the one that killed Mitzi Stark," Commissioner Murphy said.

"Yes."

"And his DNA was found at the scene."

"Yes."

The Commissioner shook his head. "This doesn't look good," he said.

"I don't know what happened," Mac said. "I always leave my weapon in my desk when I go home. Anybody could know it. If they wanted to set me up, they could take it."

"What about your secretary?" Murphy asked.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to her."

"Why don't you do that now?"

Mac went out to his secretary's desk, and the Inspector followed him. "Dorothy," Mac said. "Did anybody come to my office after I left yesterday?" Mac asked.

"Not that I remember," Dorothy said, thinking. "I don't remember anyone coming by."

"Did you notice anyone walking by here?"

"A lot of people walked by."

"Somehow, somebody got into my office and got my gun and killed Mitzi Stark."

Dorothy was shocked. She thought. "There was once I had to go up to the third floor office to deliver some files," she said. "I guess anybody could have gotten in while I was gone."

"When was that?"

"It wasn't long after you left. Around four-fifteen, I guess."

"I went home, got ready, went to the TV station, did the interview, went to Arthur and Melinda's, took Mandy out to eat, carried her back, went home and went to bed. I was awakened around Midnight by Tim. I went to the murder scene."

"So, somebody around here was waiting for the opportunity to steal your weapon," Tate said.

"But who?" Murphy asked.

"Are there any new people working around here?" Mac asked.

"Plenty," Tate said. "Even me."

"But you just got here from Knoxville. You don't even know me," Mac said. "I don't know you either."

"I can vouch for him," Murphy said. "He is a good cop. Maybe almost as good as you."

Mac smiled. "I'm not judging him."

The Commissioner's phone rang. He walked away from them to answer it. Mac was trying to figure out who could have sneaked into his office. "Were there any janitors around here or maintenance?" he asked.

Dorothy thought. "I did see a janitor here yesterday, and maintenance was working on the lights in the lounge. They've been flickering, and I can't stand that. They had to change the bulbs."

"And they were here yesterday?"

"Yes. I was so glad they fixed those lights. Do you ever go in there when one of those things is flickering? It will give you a headache and…"

"Dorothy. I'm glad they're fixed, but I don't have time for that. I need to know the names of the new maintenance people."

"I'll find that right now." Dorothy typed in her computer and printed out a list for Mac.

Inspector Tate took the paper before Mac got it. "Detective Taylor," Tate said. "You can't be involved in this."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," Mac said.

"You stay out of this. You could mess it up for yourself."

"Come on."

Tate let Mac look at the paper with him. Mac put his glasses on. "The new maintenance chief is Travis Morris?" he asked. Mac thought. "Isn't that Alexander Morris' brother?" he asked Dorothy.

"Yes, I believe it is," Dorothy answered. "He helped his father, and I guess when his father lost his job, he got promoted."

Mac's eyebrows got that look they had when he was figuring something out. Tate looked at Mac. "What are you thinking?" Tate asked.

Mac looked at him. "I don't know," he said. "But you can't block me out of this."

"Yes, he can," Murphy said, as he was coming back over to them.

"What do you mean?" Mac asked.

"That was the Mayor. He says you have to be suspended."

Mac sighed. "For how long?" he asked.

"Until this is over," Murphy said. "You may be indicted, Mac."

Mac shook his head. He took his badge off his belt and gave it to the Commissioner. Tate looked at Murphy. "You are really going to do this?" Tate asked.

"I don't have a choice," Murphy said. "That was the Mayor. Mac is no different than any other citizen of this city."

"Yes he is!"

They all looked around to see Jenny coming toward them. "Jenny, just calm down," Mac said. He thought she looked pale.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Jenny said. She looked at the Commissioner. "How can you go along with this?"

"I tried," Murphy said. "I argued with Metcalfe, but he wouldn't listen. He said the public out there is wanting blood."

Mac went to Jenny. "You stay out of this," Mac said. "Just let it follow through. You need to be home in bed."

Jenny wanted to cry, but she gritted her teeth. Mac hugged her. "We'll get through this," he said.

Mac could not believe this. He had never been suspended before, not even when that situation with Clay Dobson was going on. He looked at the Commissioner. "What do I do until then?" he asked.

"Don't leave town," Murphy said. "That's an order. You don't go any further than home."

"We have to go and pick up our kids," Mac said.

"You'll have to let Jenny do it. I don't think she's well yet anyway. Why don't the both of you just go home?"

Tate looked at Murphy. "What about this?" he asked, showing Murphy the list of new employees.

"We'll look into it," Murphy said.

Mac went back to his office, along with Jenny. He got his coat and put it back on. He got his cane and other personal stuff into a box. "Are you just going to let them do this to you?" Jenny asked.

"I'll have time to take care of you now," Mac said. "You need to be in bed. Come on."

They went out of the office. Glenda Kennedy was coming toward the office. "What's going on?" she asked.

"It's a long story," Mac said. "Let Tate and Murphy tell you. I'm suspended."

Glenda looked angry. "We're not going to let them do this to you," she said. "You can believe that."

"Don't cause any trouble. They're doing what they have to."

"We'll prove you didn't do this."

Mac and Jenny went down to the parking garage. "You feel like driving home?" Mac asked.

"I drove down here," Jenny said.

"Let's go."

When they got home, Jenny went straight to bed. She felt as bad as she did the first day she had this flu. Mac sat on the side of the bed. "What do you think will happen?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know," Mac said. "That DNA matched."

"But Arthur and Ray have discovered something, Mac. They found that the blood drops couldn't have come from spatter. They had to be dropped on the floor at close range, because they didn't have the splatter patterns of the other blood drops. If the killer was bleeding and dripping, the drops would have splattered."

Mac thought about that. "So, they think the blood drops were planted there," he said.

Jenny looked at Mac. "Of course they were," she said.

Mac shook his head. "I know. I mean…"

"I know what you mean."

"I just look at it like I do any other case, I guess."

"I think I have to go to sleep."

"Okay."

Mac went to the living room. He thought the house felt lonely. He was thinking about the case. He supposed he could try and do some investigating of his own. He got his phone and called Ray.

"Hello," Ray said.

"Ray, what's going on?" Mac asked.

"Nothing much. Arthur and I have been doing an experiment in our new lab. We discovered that the drops of blood that came from you had to be dropped from no more than two inches above the floor."

"Two inches?"

"Yes. There's no way that blood wasn't planted there. It couldn't have dripped or been slung off the killer."

"I don't know, Ray, there's too much evidence against me. And besides all that, this woman was trying to get me on a sexual harassment case."

Ray groaned. "We'll figure this out, Mac."

"I hope so."

Ray put his phone away. He looked at Arthur. "We have to go and tell the chief Inspector what we found," Ray said.

Ray and Arthur got their evidence and went up to the chief Inspector's office. They explained the blood drops to him. "Isn't that enough to clear Mac?" Ray asked.

"You have to understand how complicated this is," Tate said. "Mac is a CSI, probably the best CSI. He would know exactly how to make everything look like this."

"You have got to be kidding!" Arthur said. "Are you telling us that anything we find that might prove he didn't do this will make him look more guilty?"

"No, of course not."

"That's what it sounds like," Ray said.

"You two cannot be on this case."

"Stick it in your ear! You can't keep us from trying to help Mac! I will not sit by and let you people convict him of murder!"

Tate stepped closer to Ray. "You will do what you're told, Detective Barnes!" he said.

Arthur got Ray by the arm. "Come on," Arthur said. "Let's go."

Ray went with Arthur back to the lab. "What are we supposed to do?" Ray asked. "Sit here and twiddle our thumbs while they convict Mac?"

"No," Arthur said. "Getting yourself suspended won't help Mac."


	8. Chapter 8

Mac was lying in his chair sleeping when the doorbell rang. He got up and went to the door. His throat felt scratchy, and he felt cold. He opened the door. Tim was at the door with two other officers. Tim looked like he was almost sick himself. "Tim," Mac said. He folded his arms. "Come in. I'm freezing."

"Mac," Tim said. Tim looked up at the door jamb.

Mac frowned. "They sent you to arrest me, didn't they?" he asked.

Tim nodded. "Mac, I don't want to do this," he said.

Mac swallowed. "Just do your duty, Tim," Mac said. "It will work out." He looked toward the bedroom. "I need to tell Jenny."

"Take all the time you need," Tim said.

Mac hated to tell Jenny this but he went to the bedroom. Jenny was asleep. Mac sat down on the side of the bed. "Honey," he said. He touched her face. She did not feel hot.

Jenny opened her eyes. "Mac, what's wrong?" she asked.

Mac cleared his throat. Jenny sat up. "Are you catching this?" she asked.

"I don't know," Mac said. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What?"

Mac wished he could get out of this somehow. He did not want to tell Jenny. She just stared at him. "Mac?" she said.

"I don't know how to tell you this," Mac said. "I'm being arrested."

"What!"

Mac looked at Jenny. "Honey, calm down," he said.

"Don't you tell me that again!"

"Getting mad isn't going to fix it." Mac pulled Jenny to him and gave her a passionate kiss. He was not about to go to jail without kissing her first. He thought he was getting that flu anyway. "I love you."

"Mac." Jenny hugged him. "I love you too."

Mac wiped the tears off her face. "It'll turn out right, Sweetheart," he said. He kissed her again. "Get some more rest."

Jenny was crying when Mac left the room. He went back to the living room. "I'm ready," he said.

Tim felt like crying himself. He could not believe the department was doing Mac this way. "I'm sorry, Mac," he said.

"It'll be alright," Mac said.

Tim did not put cuffs on Mac. He just took him out to the car. "Read me my rights," Mac said, "so there won't be anything to talk about."

Tim told Mac his rights. "Do you understand these rights?" he asked.

"Yes," Mac said.

Tim closed the car door. When they got to the precinct, there were reporters and protesters outside. Tim got Mac out of the car. There were people yelling, and the reporters were relentless. "Why isn't he handcuffed?" one of the reporters asked, and the mob around them started yelling and agreeing with that question.

"He's a suspected murderer!" someone yelled. "He should be cuffed like anyone else!"

"Put the cuffs on me," Mac said.

"NO!" Tim said. "I will not treat you like a criminal!"

"Do it, Tim!"

"No! Now, come on!"

Tim got Mac by the arm and pulled him through the mob. Someone shoved Mac. He ran into Tim and almost knocked him down. Tim pushed Mac toward the building. He knew if this mob got Mac down, he would not be able to stop them. They finally reached the door and got inside. "I'm sorry, Mac," Tim said.

"What did you think would happen?" Mac asked.

Tim took Mac to the booking room. "I've never had mugshots done," Mac said jokingly.

"This is not funny, Mac," Tim said. "I don't want to hear you trying to cheer me up."

"Come on, Tim. You know it will turn out okay, because I'm not guilty."

Tim thought of all the innocent people who had been sent to prison. Mac had cleared one not too long ago. Mac's team of detectives came in there. Mac looked at them. They just stood and watched while he was booked for murder. Then the Commissioner came in. "Do you people have nothing better to do than stand here?" he asked.

"Sir, we want to be here with Detective Taylor," Glenda said.

"You get to your jobs, now!"

Glenda glared at Murphy, but she went with the others. Murphy looked at Mac. "Sometimes a man with so many loyal followers is dangerous," Murphy said.

Mac looked at him. "Did you come to gloat?" he asked.

"You know better than that."

"No, I don't. You won't defend me. You and the Mayor know that I didn't murder that woman."

"Yes, I know it, but it has to be proven."

"How long do I have to stay in jail?"

"Until your court date."

Mac sighed. "I guess there's a first time for everything. I wonder how many there are in prison who want to kill me."

Tim looked at Mac and then at the Commissioner. "He's right, you know," Tim said. "Can you imagine how many there are in there that Mac put in there?"

"Just get him booked," Murphy said.

Tim finished booking Mac and then took him to get his prison uniform. Tim got the uniform and gave it to Mac. "They even have to watch you change and make sure you don't slip anything in with you," Tim said. He took Mac to leave his personal affects.

Mac put everything from his pockets into a bag and signed a paper. "Your wedding ring too," the officer said.

Mac stared at him. "No," he said. "I am not leaving it."

"Yes, you are."

"No!"

The officer stood up and stared at Mac. "You take it off, or we will take it by force," he said. "Nobody goes in this jail with anything like that on. Somebody would kill you to get it."

Mac looked at his ring, then at Tim. "It will be okay, Mac," Tim said.

Mac took the ring off. "You take this to Jenny," Mac said.

Tim took the ring. "I will."

The other officer opened the gate for Mac to go in, and the guard was waiting for him. Mac looked at Tim. Tim swallowed. "Good luck," he said.

Tim watched Mac walk into the prison block. He could not believe this. He looked at the ring in his hand. He had to get this to Jenny as soon as possible.


	9. Chapter 9

Mac was taken to a room to change. He had never been in jail except under cover. He hated putting people in there, and he certainly did not want to be there himself. He changed into the prison clothes while two guards watched him. Then they took him down to a cell. This was only Mac's first step. He knew he would be taken on over to the state prison soon.

Mac lay down on the cot. He supposed he could sleep, maybe. He did not know how they could convict him of this. They all knew he could stage a crime scene though if that was his intention. He supposed he would just have to trust his team. Mac looked up. He knew God knew he was innocent but he could not help but be nervous about going into that prison. He could have put half the people in there. He rubbed his forehead. He felt like he had fever.

Tim was at his desk. He had to make out a report. The Chief Inspector came over to Tim. "How is he?" Tate asked.

"He's in jail," Tim said. "How do you think he is?"

"We're going to get him out of there. I want to figure this out as bad as you do, but the Commissioner and the Mayor are trying to keep peace in the city."

"I know what they're doing," Tim said. "They're trying to keep the attention off their offices. They're trying to make an example of Mac."

"I know, but we'll prove his innocence."

"He is going to a prison where people are that he put in there."

"That's why we have to get busy on this. I have a lot of evidence. We have to go back to that crime scene and look it over again."

"I have something I have to do first," Tim said.

A while later, Tim was knocking on the door at Mac and Jenny's house. Jenny opened the door. "Tim," she said.

Tim swallowed. He held up the wedding ring. "Mac wanted me to give you this," he said. "He couldn't wear it into the jail."

Jenny started crying. "He needs me and I can't be there," she said. She took the ring. "Thank you, Tim."

"We're working on this mess, Jenny."

"I know you are."

Tim went back to the precinct. The Chief Inspector was in Mac's office with Ray, Arthur and Chris when Tim got there. "What's going on?" Tim asked.

"We're going over this evidence again," Tate said.

"I want to talk to that new maintenance chief," Ray said. "He could be wanting vengeance on Mac for his father, or maybe it's something else."

"Mac didn't have anything to do with that guy's father going to jail," Arthur pointed out. "Morris did that to himself."

"You never know how people are thinking."

"Yeah, and maybe it's Alexander Morris."

"He was trying to defend Mac before."

Arthur nodded. "Yeah."

"Let's try to keep this investigation under control and keep it quiet," Tate said.

The others all agreed. Ray and Tim went to find the maintenance chief. Arthur went to talk to people around the precinct to see if anyone saw the maintenance chief going into Mac's office. He did not have any luck. Ray and Tim had Chris find out where the maintenance chief was working. He was working on the third floor at the time. Ray and Tim went up there. They found Travis Morris changing a light bulb in the office.

"Hey," Ray said. "Are you Travis Morris?"

"Yes, I am," the man said.

"Your father is Vance Morris?"

"Yes." Travis looked at Ray. "What's this about?"

"Where were you last night around eight?"

"I was on my way home."

"Anybody can vouch for that?"

"Nobody was with me."

"Did you stop anywhere?"

"I think I stopped at the gas station."

"Which gas station?"

"The Shell station over on sixty-five."

Ray wrote that in his notepad. "What time was that?"

"Probably around seven-fifty or something, maybe eight. I wasn't exactly keeping up with what time it was."

"Were you around Detective Taylor's office anytime yesterday?" Arthur asked.

"I was changing bulbs in the lounge down there."

"Did you see anyone go into his office while he wasn't there?"

"I believe I saw the janitor go in there. He came out with the trash."

Ray wrote that down too. He stared at Morris. "How do you feel about that situation with your brother and father?" Ray asked.

Morris looked at Ray. "I don't want to talk about that."

"Don't leave town."

Ray and Arthur went back to the lab. "You know, we have to figure out how someone could have gotten Mac's blood," Ray said.

"We need to talk to him," Arthur said.

"I don't know if I can stand seeing him in that jail or not."

"We have to."

They went down to lockup, where Mac would be held until he was transferred to the prison. They sat down at the window to wait for Mac. Soon, he came in and sat down. He coughed. Ray got the phone, as Mac got his. "Are you alright?" Ray asked.

"I think I'm getting that flu," Mac said. "What do you want?"

"I want you to tell me everything that happened to you yesterday while you were at work."

"Well, after I came back from the Meth lab, I took a hot shower because I was wet. I went back to my office, and I was exhausted, so I fell asleep in my chair. I think I was about to get that flu then too."

"You slept in your chair?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"I don't know, I just slept, and Dorothy was waking me up."

"Did you drink anything?"

"I think I drank some coffee." Mac looked at Ray. "What are you getting at?"

"I think maybe somebody put you to sleep, and maybe that was when they got your blood."

Mac looked at Ray. He thought back to the day before. "I remember falling asleep. I felt so tired," he said.

"I'll test that blood sample we got from you and see if there are any drugs in it. We need to check your arms and see if there are any other puncture wounds besides the one I made."

Mac pulled his sleeve up. "I don't see anything. I haven't noticed feeling sore or anything." He stared at his arm. "I definitely feel the puncture you made." He smiled.

Ray could not believe Mac could joke in this situation. "Look at your other arm," he said.

Mac pulled his other sleeve up. "I think there is a little puncture here," he said. "I was so sore yesterday, I don't guess I noticed, and I've been feeling sick today."

"We'll test that blood sample and then get back to you."

"Do you need anything?" Arthur asked.

Mac looked around him. "I need out of here," he said.

"Anything else?"

"Take care of Jenny and the children until I get out."

"You know I will."

Mac nodded. "Time's up," the guard said.

Mac looked at Ray and Arthur. "Be careful," he said.

"We will," Ray said.

The guard took Mac back to his cell. Mac sat down on the cot. He knew he was getting that flu. "You alright?" the guard asked.

Mac looked at him. "I think I'm getting that flu," he said.

"I'll get you to the nurse."

Mac lay down. "Thanks."


	10. Chapter 10

Ray and Arthur arrived back at the lab. They tested Mac's blood sample, but there was no trace of a drug. "Must have been untraceable," Arthur said. "Now what?"

"We know he was drugged and somebody took some of his blood," Ray said. "How do we prove it?"

"We need to search Travis Morris' home and office."

"On what grounds? We're speculating."

They heard the elevator beep. Soon, Melinda came into the lab. She looked like she was burning mad too. "What is going on?" she asked. "Uncle Mac is in jail?"

"Yes," Ray said.

"Where is Mandy?" Arthur asked.

"Mother came up here to stay with Jenny and the children. Mandy is with her. Mother knows how to keep them from catching that from Jenny. I want to know why Uncle Mac is in jail!"

"Just calm down. He is in there because his DNA was found at a murder scene, and his weapon was the one that killed the woman, and this particular woman was trying to get a sexual harassment lawsuit against Mac."

"You both know that is outrageous!"

"Of course we know it. We have to prove he is innocent. We know somebody put him to sleep and took some of his blood to frame him at that murder."

"Then why is he in jail?"

"Because we can't prove it."

"We have to get pictures of that puncture wound on Mac," Ray said.

"We can't without the Commissioner giving us the okay, or a judge," Arthur said. "They won't let us in the jail."

"We'll get what we have to have."

"I think we would do better to go to Tate about this."

"Me too."

"What about me?" Melinda asked.

"Work on that stuff from the hospital," Arthur said. "We need to get all that done."

"Okay, but I want to know what's going on."

Arthur and Ray went down to Mac's office. No one was there. "I guess he's up in his office," Ray said. They went up the Inspector's office.

Tate let them in. "What have you found?" Tate asked.

"We think somebody drugged Mac and took some of his blood yesterday," Ray said.

"You got proof?"

"We need to get into the jail to take pictures of the puncture wound on Mac's arm. We couldn't find any drugs in his blood."

Tate leaned back in his chair. "So, you don't have proof."

"No, but we need in there. Maybe I can get another sample."

"Alright. You go and get that evidence. I want Mac out of there too."

Ray and Arthur went to lock up and requested to see Mac. They had to leave their weapons and phones with the guard. They were taken in and to an interrogation room. Soon, Mac was brought in. He was handcuffed with a chain around his waist. "That isn't necessary," Ray said. "Take those off."

"He's a murder suspect," the guard said. "Those are the rules."

"I want those off him."

"No way." The guard left the room and locked the door.

Ray looked at Mac. "They don't have to treat you like a criminal," Ray said.

"I 'am' until I'm proven innocent," Mac said.

Ray looked at Mac's arm. "This would be easier if you didn't have these cuffs on," Ray said. He put blue dye on Mac's arm to make the puncture show up better, and then took pictures of it.

"What about the blood sample?" Mac asked.

"There was nothing," Ray said. "Must have been undetectable. I'm going to take another blood sample and see if maybe I get something this time."

Mac sneezed. He looked at Ray. "Sorry," Mac said. "I couldn't cover my face."

"I guess I'll have to get me some Tamiflu," Ray said.

Mac sneezed again, which made his throat feel sorer. "Being in jail is bad enough, but being in jail sick is even worse," Mac said.

"We're gonna get you out," Arthur said.

Ray tied a rubber band around Mac's arm. Mac grimaced. "That doesn't feel too good on my sore skin," Mac said.

"Sorry," Ray said. He got the needle ready.

Mac knew this was going to hurt. Things always hurt worse when the flu is involved. He looked away and closed his eyes. "You ready?" Ray asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Mac said.

Ray stuck the needle in. Mac could not help but groan a little. Ray had to search for a vein. "Sorry," he said.

Mac tried to relax. "Hurry up, will ya?" he asked.

Ray finally found the vein. "I got it," he said. "Just hold still."

Mac was finding that hard to do. He blew out a breath. "I hate the flu," he said.

"Don't we all?" Arthur asked. "That's why it's national news when the flu season comes."

"Yeah."

Ray finally finished and put his sample away. "I'm not going to have any blood left if people keep taking it," Mac said.

"Always trying to joke around," Ray said.

"I might as well."

"I'm sorry. I just don't feel comical today."

"None of this is your fault. If you don't get anything, it won't be your fault."

"I hope I find something this time," Ray said. He put a bandage on Mac's arm. "If you don't get to see a nurse or doctor in here, you let us know. You need something for that flu."

"The guard already told me he would get me in to see the nurse."

"He better."

Ray and Arthur went to the door. "We'll be in touch," Ray said.

Mac nodded. He watched them leave. He looked at the cuffs on his wrists and the chain around his waist. How many times had he talked to people who were restrained like this? After all, he was a suspected murderer. No one knew for sure whether he killed that woman or not, except him and God, and the one who really killed her. Mac wondered who did it. He thought about Alexander Morris. He had been on TV trying to defend him. Was it all an act? He did not think so. He wondered if Alexander's brother did this. He was the maintenance chief now.

The guard came in to take Mac back to his cell. Mac sneezed again. "Hey, watch that!" the guard said.

"Sorry," Mac said.

"Sorry won't help me not to catch that."

Mac sniffed. He felt like his throat was stopping up with sinus drainage. The guard took the cuffs off Mac and put him back in his cell. Mac lay down on the cot and pulled the blanket over him. He felt so cold, he was shivering.

Ray and Arthur went back to the lab and analyzed the new sample of Mac's blood. There was still no trace of drugs. "I can't believe this," Arthur said.

"We have to search Morris' office," Ray said.

"You think he would just leave the evidence lying around to be found?"

"Let's go down to the basement and search."

"He had to get rid of that syringe somewhere. If we find Mac's blood or anything, we'll know what happened for sure."

"Don't you think we should go and see the DA?" Arthur asked. "We could tell him what we've found."

"He's not going to listen."

"You mean, 'she'. You know that Gloria Parish is going to be on this case."

"Let her go ahead. She can't prove that Mac did anything."

"She has his weapon as the murder weapon and his DNA at the scene. I would say she can prove a lot. At least she has a good case."

Ray was thinking. "Maybe we could find a trace of that drug in a urine sample," he said.

"What else are we going to put Mac through?" Arthur asked. "You've already drawn blood from him twice."

"I don't care. We can get a urine sample now."

Arthur and Ray got back into the lockup and got Mac back to the interrogation room. Ray told him what they wanted. Mac was really sick now. He looked at Ray. "I think it's too late," he said. "I don't know of any sedatives that would last this long in the body."

"We can at least try," Ray said. He touched Mac's forehead. "Have you seen that nurse yet?"

"No."

"They better get you in there."

Arthur snapped his fingers. "What about Mac's coffee cup?" he asked. "Wouldn't there be traces of it there?"

"I don't know," Ray said. "We can certainly try."

Mac just looked at them. All he wanted to do was go back to his bed. The cuffs he was wearing hurt because of the flu. "I need to go and lie down," he said. "I don't feel like staying up."

"Don't lose hope," Arthur said.

"I'm trying not to."

"At least let me try the urine sample," Ray said.

"I'll have to do it in front of everybody," Mac said. "I don't think it will work. I would rather not go through that humiliation."

"Mac, those kinds of things collect in the kidneys and bladder before they get out of your body."

Mac swallowed, which was pure torture. "Okay, I'll do it, but I would rather just do it in here."

"Fine with me."


	11. Chapter 11

After Ray and Arthur had the sample, they left. The guard took Mac back to his cell again. Mac felt like he would pass out. He almost stumbled. "It's almost lunch time, Taylor," the guard said. "You can see the nurse after lunch."

"I don't think I can eat," Mac said. "I just want to sleep."

The guard took the cuffs off of Mac and pushed him into the cell. Mac almost fell onto the bed. The next thing he knew, the guard was poking him in the back with his nightstick. "Hey, wake up," the guard said. "It's time for you to see the nurse. Get up."

Mac felt like his head would explode. He sat up slowly. He felt like he was freezing all over. He was shivering. "I don't think I can walk down there," he said through chattering teeth.

The guard could see Mac was shivering. "Come on, you can make it," he said. "I have to put the cuffs on you. Come on, the nurse can give you something for this."

Mac was shaking all over as he waited for the guard to put the cuffs on him. "You've got it bad," the guard said. He was wearing a mask. "Come on."

The guard walked Mac to the medical station. Mac thought he would not make it, but finally, they came to the right place. "This man needs attention," the guard said. "He's having chills. He has the flu."

"Get him onto that bed," the nurse said.

Mac lay down on one of the beds. The guard cuffed him to the bed. "I'm sorry," the guard said. "It's the rules."

"Can I have a blanket?" Mac asked. He did not know if he had ever shook this bad with the flu or not.

"Of course."

The guard told the nurse to bring Mac some blankets. "I'll get to him," the nurse said.

"He is freezing," the guard said. "Can't you take just a minute to give him some blankets?"

The nurse glared at the guard. "If you want him to have them so bad, they're right there in that closet."

The guard opened the door and got two blankets out and put them over Mac. "Thank you," Mac said.

"I have to go," the guard said. "She'll help you." He looked at the nurse. He thought maybe she had been working in here too long.

Mac lay there on the bed shivering until he finally fell asleep. When he woke up, he felt like his eyes were dry or burning. They were watering, and his throat was dry and sore. He had on an oxygen mask. He figured that was to keep his germs out of the rest of the room. He turned his head. Every movement seemed to send chills all over him. He did not see anyone in the room. "Nurse," he said. He could not talk very loud. Mac did not think that nurse had done anything for him. He did not feel any different. He soon fell asleep again.

Ray and Arthur had run the test on Mac's urine sample. There was a trace of something, but there was not enough to determine what it was. "It's too late," Arthur said.

"Well, we know for sure he has the flu now," Ray said. "I hope they're taking care of him in there."

"He looked pretty bad."

"Yeah."

"What do we do now?"

"You go and find Mac's coffee cup. I'm going to the basement to see if I can find anything down there."

They both left the lab. Ray went down to the basement. He searched the elevator shaft first. He did not find a syringe, but he found a lot of other things that he did not think should be there, like condoms and cigarette butts, cigar butts. He even found a joint. He would have to analyze that. He wondered what was going on in this police department. He searched around the basement and found everything lying around that had been confiscated over the years and was left here after the cases were disposed of. Ray thought this was the perfect place to hide something if one did not want anyone to find it.

Arthur was in the lounge searching for Mac's cup. It was easy to recognize because it had a picture of Mac and Jenny engraved on it. He did not find it in the lounge. He searched Mac's office. The cup was not there either. Arthur searched around the office to make sure it was not hidden somewhere. He knew Mac had not taken the cup up to the lab, because his office was not ready up there yet.

Arthur left the office and went around to Dorothy. "Excuse me," Arthur said.

Dorothy looked up at Arthur. "Detective Reed," she said. "Have you seen Detective Taylor?"

"Yes, we've seen him. He has the flu, but he's alright, I think. I am looking for Detective Taylor's coffee cup. Do you know where it is?"

"It's usually in his office or in the lounge."

"I couldn't find it."

"I didn't find it in his office when I went in there this morning. It's usually on his desk in the mornings and I take it to the lounge and wash it for him."

Arthur blew out a breath. "Somebody has really done their homework," he said.

"Is Detective Taylor really going to prison?" Dorothy asked.

"If we don't find proof that he didn't do this, that somebody drugged him and took his blood here in this office, he will."

"I should have locked his office after he left."

"This isn't your fault."

Arthur went to the lounge and looked around again. The cup was nowhere to be found. He knew that Mac always used real sugar in his coffee. He had a sugar bowl in the cabinet. Arthur looked in the cabinet. He did not find the sugar bowl either. He could not believe this. Whoever did this stole Mac's cup and sugar bowl. Arthur figured they must have put the sedative in Mac's sugar. This person had to know Mac's habits. They stole the cup and sugar bowl so it could not be traced.

Arthur got his phone and called Ray. "Barnes," Ray said.

"Ray, Mac's coffee cup and sugar bowl are gone," Arthur said. "That must be how they put him to sleep."

"And they took them so they couldn't be traced." Ray leaned on the wall of the basement. "I haven't found anything down here yet."

"What could they have done with the coffee cup and sugar?"

"Threw it out in the trash, I guess." Ray looked up. "The trash! When is trash pickup here?"

"I'm not sure," Arthur said.

"Get to the alley and get that trash!"

"I'm going."

Arthur ran to the elevator. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" Glenda Kennedy asked.

"No time to explain," Arthur said.

"I'll go with you then."

Arthur explained everything to Glenda while they were in the elevator. When they got to the alley, the garbage truck was there. "Stop!" Arthur yelled. He held up his badge. "Don't take this trash!"

The man stopped. "What's going on?" he asked.

"This garbage may contain evidence. Have you put any in there at all?"

"No, I was just getting started."

"Okay, just go on, cause we have to search this."

Glenda looked at Arthur after the garbage truck was gone. "Are you expecting me to go through this trash?" she asked.

"I sure am," Arthur said. "Let's get busy."

They searched the trash bin until they found the garbage from Mac's office. Arthur searched the bag. Just then, Ray came out into the alley. "You find anything yet?" he asked.

"Not yet," Arthur said. "This is terrible. We throw away a lot of paper in this building."

"At least it isn't food."

"Good point."

Arthur did not find Mac's cup or sugar bowl in the trash bag from his office. "It's not in here," he said.

"We have to search it all," Ray said, as he was climbing into the dumpster.

"Whoever did this is very sly," Arthur said. "He must think he's committed the perfect crime."

Glenda looked at Arthur. "There's no such thing," she said. "If this guy thinks he's committed the perfect crime, he's liable to get cocky and make some kind of mistake."

"Maybe."

"He has to be gloating that he has caused Mac to go to jail."

"Right," Ray said. "Maybe we should call all the maintenance personnel together and question them about whether they saw anything unusual. Maybe it would make the guilty one nervous."

"How do we know it was one of them?" Glenda asked.

"I don't know of anyone who would want to get at Mac, although, I did find some interesting things in that elevator shaft in the basement."

"Like what?" Arthur asked.

"Well, the most interesting thing I found was a joint."

"A joint?"

"Yes. I took it to the lab to analyze."

"I don't think we're going to find anything here."

"Just keep looking."


	12. Chapter 12

Mac woke up in the medical center again. His eyes were still burning. He felt like his throat was on fire. He looked around. The nurse was at her station. "Nurse," Mac said.

The nurse looked at Mac. "You're finally awake," she said. She came over to him. "You're a pitiful looking sight."

"I'm thirsty," Mac whispered, but even that hurt his throat.

The nurse brought a cup and gave Mac some water. He thought it felt like his whole throat was going down with the water. "Now that you're awake," the nurse said. "I'll start an IV in your arm. First, I want to know your name."

"Detective Mac Taylor."

"Detective, huh? You're no detective in here."

"Mac."

The nurse got her equipment ready and came over to Mac. Mac looked at that needle. He knew this was going to hurt. He did not think that nurse cared how much she hurt him either. The nurse looked at his right arm. "What's this?" she asked.

Mac looked at the bruise on his arm. "Blood sample," he said.

The nurse looked at his other arm, which had the blue dye on it that Ray had put there. He had cleaned it, but there was no way to get it all off. "Well, you're just full of holes, aren't you?" the nurse asked. She looked at Mac's arms. "You have good veins. I suppose I can put it somewhere else in your arm." She looked at his hands. She tied the rubber band around Mac's wrist.

Mac looked at her. Was she going to put it in his hand? He remembered when Jenny had the children, she said those IV's in the hand hurt worse than any other place. He watched her get the needle ready. He swallowed. He did not want to be childish, but he thought as bad as that hurt when Ray took that blood sample, this would be unbearable.

The nurse looked at Mac. "Take a deep breath," she said.

Mac looked up at the ceiling and started to take a deep breath, but then he felt that needle go into his hand. He almost yelled out, but he held his breath. He knew what Jenny was talking about now. The nurse searched for the vein. Mac thought it felt like hot pain in his hand. "There we go," the nurse said. She fixed the IV. Then Mac watched her put medications in with syringes.

Mac soon felt like he was floating. He was not in pain anymore. He felt totally relaxed and sleepy, so he slept.

Ray and the others did not find anything in the trash bin. "I can't believe this," Ray said. "We know what happened, but we can't prove it."

"We can sure make reasonable doubt as to his guilt in court," Glenda said. "We have to get the most stubborn lawyer in this city for Mac. One who won't give in to a hopeless situation."

"Like who?"

"I know exactly who."

That evening, Mac was carried to the interrogation room again. He had been told he was going to see his lawyer. He did not even know he had a lawyer. He realized he needed one though. He thought Jenny must have gotten him a lawyer.

When Mac got into the interrogation room, he was shocked at who was in there. "Detective Taylor," Ernest Covington said. He offered his hand to Mac, but then he realized Mac was restrained. "Sorry." He looked at the guard. "Are those really necessary?"

"It's the rules," the guard said.

"But he is the Chief of Detectives. Doesn't he deserve a little courtesy?"

"In here, he's nothing but an inmate."

The guard left. Mac sat down at the table. "What are you doing here, Covington?" he asked.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" Covington asked.

"I have the flu. They want my germs to stay with me."

"I see."

Mac stared at Covington. The last time he had seen the man was when he was working on that case with the abortions in that hotel. "I know we don't get along well," Covington said. "But I want to help you. You're going to have a tough prosecutor, and you need a tough defense."

"Who hired you?" Mac asked.

"Your loyal followers."

"So what are we going to do, make up some sad story about my life?"

"Detective, I know you didn't murder that woman. This is probably the most honest defense I'll ever provide."

"Thanks." Mac sneezed. He hated sneezing inside this mask. "Can you get me out of here?"

"I'm afraid not. I already tried. I will have your defense ready though. I want you to tell me everything that happened that day, and don't leave anything out."

Mac told Covington about chasing Glenn Tart and what all happened that day and since then. "So, she came and met you in the parking garage?" Covington asked.

"Yes," Mac said. "She was trying to blackmail me. Somebody took a picture when she kissed me. Don't be surprised to see it in court." Mac coughed.

"Are they taking care of you in here?"

"I've been to the nurse. I feel better than I did when I first got here."

"Ray and the others have told me about all their findings and suspicions. They haven't been able to locate your cup from the lounge yet, or your sugar bowl."

"What?"

"They think someone drugged you with your sugar you use for your coffee. They took your blood while you slept in your office. Your coffee cup and sugar bowl are missing."

Mac blinked. "I don't know who could be doing this. I've put a lot of people away."

"Ray thinks Travis Morris did it. He has been trying to find some reason to search Morris' office and house."

"No luck, huh?"

"Not yet. They searched the trash outside the building and didn't find a syringe or anything else."

"No one smart enough to pull off something like this would be dumb enough to dump something like that in the garbage."

"It was a shot."

Mac coughed again. "Your preliminary hearing before the grand jury is Monday morning," Covington said. "If they think there is enough evidence to send you to trial, you'll be sent to state prison."

Mac looked at Covington. "I didn't kill that woman," Mac said. "I didn't even know her except that little run-in we had."

"We're going to sort this out. In the meantime, if they don't take care of you in here, you let me know. You're supposed to have medical care."

"All I feel like doing is lying down." Mac coughed again. He could not even get his hands up to his face. He felt like he was choking.

"That flu is really bad. Maybe you'll be over it in a day or two."

Covington stood up. "I'm going to do my very best, Detective. I know we didn't get along before, but I respected you."

Mac looked at him. "Thanks."

"Get well."

Covington left, and the guard took Mac to his cell. While the guard was taking the cuffs off him, Mac had the instinct to try and run. He did not want to go back in that cell. "Just relax," the guard said, as though he could sense Mac's thoughts.

Mac looked at him. He supposed after one worked in a place like this for so long they could tell when a prisoner was getting claustrophobic. The guard put Mac in the cell. Mac watched him lock the door. He could not believe he was a prisoner. '_Maybe this is all a nightmare,' _he thought. '_Maybe I'll wake up and I'll be dreaming.'_

Mac took the mask off. It was wet on the inside where he had sneezed. He went to the sink and washed his face and then lay down on the cot. He thought he was starting to feel cold again. He pulled the blanket up around him. Then he coughed.

"Hey, keep that coughing down over there!" someone said.

Mac rolled his eyes. He could not keep from coughing. He was thinking of going to court Monday. He wondered how that would go. He coughed half the night that night and got plenty of threats from other inmates. They threatened to cut out his voice box, slit his throat and cut his lungs out. Mac knew they could not get to him, but it made him nervous anyway, and he could not stop himself from coughing.

Finally, a guard came in there. "Hey," he said. "I'm tired of all this commotion in here."

"Tell that guy over there to stop that coughing!" someone yelled. "Can't get no sleep in here!"

Mac wished he could stop coughing. He would gladly oblige them. His side was starting to get sore from all the coughing. He had tried drinking water, but that only made him have to use the bathroom, so he did not think that was helping anything.

The guard hit Mac's cell bars with his nightstick. "Hey, can't you keep that down in there?" he asked. This was a different guard than the day guard.

"I need something for this," Mac said, and coughed more.

"Stick a cork in his mouth!" someone yelled, and others yelled more disturbing comments.

Mac hated being in here. He did not care what they thought about him coughing. They deserved to be here but he had done nothing to be in here. He opened his mouth and coughed so it would be louder. That brought a whole new slew of threats and curses his way. Mac almost laughed. He was getting to irritate the scum of the earth.

"You cut that out," the guard demanded. "I want some quiet in here."

"I'm not doing anything," Mac said, hoarsely. "I'm sick. People with the flu cough!" he yelled, and had another round of coughing.

The guard went to call the nurse and see if she could bring something for Mac's cough. Soon, the nurse was there. It was not the same nurse Mac saw that morning. This was a young nurse. The other inmates whistled at her and yelled things at her. She came to Mac's cell. "Come to the bars," she said.

Mac walked over to her. "What are you giving me?" he asked.

"Cough syrup," she said. "Open wide." She poured cough syrup in a medicine cup.

"Can't I just drink it myself?"

"Open."

Mac opened his mouth and she poured the cough syrup in. Mac swallowed it, and it burned all the way down. "What was that?" he asked.

"Cough remedy," the nurse said. "You'll be able to rest now."

The nurse left. Mac wondered what she gave him. He lay down on the cot. His throat felt a little better. Tomorrow was Sunday. He wished he could go to church and play his guitar. He wondered if he would have to go to prison. He knew he would if this went to trial. He soon found out what the nurse meant when she said he would be able to rest. He felt like he was floating above his bed. He pulled the blanket over him and went to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Jenny still was not feeling well, but she was going to visit Mac today. It was Sunday. Mike and Maria were there to take the children to church with them and they would keep them at their house until that night. "Tell Mac we love him and we're behind him," Mike said.

"I will," Jenny said.

"I wish I knew something I could do."

"Just helping with the children is enough."

Jenny hugged and kissed the children and then went out to Mac's Avalanche. She wanted to drive it so she could feel close to him. He loved that truck. She drove down to the jail. Soon, she was at the window. It was not long until Mac was brought in. Jenny had to force herself not to cry when she saw him. His eyes and nose were red. He had not shaved, and his hands were cuffed.

Jenny picked up the phone and Mac got his phone. "How are you?" Jenny asked.

"I'm making it," Mac said. He was terribly hoarse.

"I can't believe this is happening to you."

"How are the kids?"

"They are fine. They want to know where their daddy is. I can't bear to tell them you're in jail. I just told them you would be back soon."

Mac held back tears. "I don't know how long I'll be in here, and Monday is my preliminary hearing. I may be sent to state prison then."

"This isn't right." Jenny put her hand on the glass. "We're gonna do everything we can."

Mac put his hand against hers. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

"Remind the Commissioner that Travis Morris' brother was acquitted of a rape after he spent seven years in prison. Travis has motive for doing this to me. See if that will get a warrant to search Morris' house and office."

"I will."

"I wish I could touch you," Mac whispered.

"Maybe I can arrange us a meeting besides here," Jenny whispered.

Mac shook his head. "I don't have any privileges yet."

"I'm your wife. I want the privilege of your arms around me."

"I hope you can get it, but they would be watching us."

"I'm going to look into it. Maybe they'll give us some privacy this afternoon."

The guard came and told Mac his time was up. Mac looked at Jenny. "I love you," he said, again.

"I love you," Jenny said.

Mac was taken back to his cell. This was not his usual guard either. He frisked Mac before he put him back in his cell. Mac wondered where he thought he would have gotten anything. "That was some pretty woman you had in there," the guard said, as he was patting Mac down.

Mac did not like that statement. "She's my wife," he said.

"Oh. A pretty thing like that might not still be there when you get out of prison."

Mac turned around and stared at the guard. "You back off," the guard said.

"You stop talking about my wife like that," Mac said.

"What you gonna do?"

Mac stared at him. The guard looked into those fiery green eyes. "Get in that cell," he said. He shoved Mac.

Mac sat down on his cot and stared at the guard. "You better not insult my wife again," he said. "I'm going to be getting out of here, and I'll see to it that you lose your job."

"Whatever," the guard said.

Jenny could not get any time with Mac, so he remained in his cell and Jenny went to the lab to work on the case some more.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Mac got a shower and shaved his beard down to a goatee. He thought he looked pretty good with a goatee. He had not had one in quite a while. He was cuffed and then Tim was there to take him to the courthouse. Mac was glad to see Tim. "How are you?" Tim asked.

"I've been better," Mac said.

"Your lawyer is waiting for you at the courthouse. He wants you to change into a suit when you get there."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He thinks appearance matters, I reckon."

Tim got in the car with Mac. When they got to the courthouse, there was a crowd outside. "Can't we park somewhere else?" Mac asked. "Do we have to go through that mob?"

"I don't think they'll hurt you, Mac," Tim said.

Mac knew how violent people could get and he was not at his peak strength. His muscles felt like they were straining just to carry him around. That flu had really taken its toll. As they were getting out of the car, Mac sneezed. That made the crowd back up a little. "You better get back!" Tim said. "He has the flu, and he can't cover his face when he sneezes!"

Mac tried to keep from smiling. The crowd backed up. He sneezed again, and they backed up farther. "Hey, I guess the flu is a pretty good weapon," Mac said, sarcastically.

Tim led him into the courthouse. "Tim, I have snot running here," Mac said. "Can't I at least have my hands so I can wipe my nose?"

"I can't do anything about that," Tim said. He got a tissue and wiped Mac's nose. "You owe me for that."

"Thanks," Mac said. "I'll buy you lunch sometime."

Then Mac saw Jenny coming, along with Ernest Covington. Jenny hugged Mac and kissed him. "I'm alright," Mac said. "I'm glad you're here. You can wipe my nose for me."

Jenny smiled. "I will," she said.

Mac was taken to a room for a briefing with his lawyer. "The DA is offering you a deal," Covington said. "I have to tell you. He says if you plead guilty, you'll spend seven years in prison and have ten years of probation."

Mac stared at him. "I am not pleading guilty," he said. "I didn't kill that woman."

"I know. I told him that was ridiculous."

"This whole thing is ridiculous," Jenny said. "They're just trying to make an example of Mac."

"I know," Covington said. "We'll figure all this out. Your team won't give up. In the meantime, I'm afraid you'll be sent to prison to await your trial."

"When will that be?" Mac asked.

"I don't know."

Mac looked down at the table. "It's really hopeless, isn't it?"

"No. I don't want you to lose hope."

"I'll have to go to state prison." Mac looked at Covington. "You know how many I put in there? They would love to kill me. Even the former chief, Sterns is in there."

"Maybe the judge will release you on your own recognizance."

"We'll see."

"I'll bring all this up in court."

Jenny kissed Mac and went on to the courtroom. Mac sat at the table and wondered what was going to happen to him. He sneezed. He hated not being able to cover his face. He looked down at his hands with the cuffs around his wrists. He could not believe this was what his life had come to. Would he have to spend the rest of his life in jail? Would he be killed in jail? Mac stood up and walked around the room. He was locked in because it was not time for the trial yet. His muscles still felt weak from the flu.

Finally, the guard came in to take him to the courtroom. When Mac went in, some people yelled things at him. He did not look up. He just sat down in his chair. "Just relax," Covington said. "It doesn't matter what they think."

Mac did not know about that. The opinions of the public sometimes influenced judges and other people who were in a political job. Soon, the hearing started. The judge asked Mac and his attorney to stand. "How do you plead?" the judge asked.

"Not guilty," Mac said.

"Very well. I'll hear statements from the prosecution and defense now."

Gloria Parish was the prosecutor. She got up and made her speech against Mac. She told about the woman and what all happened, in her opinion. She even had the picture that Mac had known was taken in the parking garage. "How did she get that?" Mac whispered.

"We'll find out," Covington said. He stood up. "Your Honor, I object to this evidence. The Prosecution has not shown this to the Defense. I am very interested to know where she got that evidence."

"All that will come out in the trial," Gloria said.

"Overruled," the judge said.

When it came to the Defense, Covington stood and made his statement on Mac's behalf. Then they had to go out and wait for the Grand Jury to come to a verdict. Mac felt nervous. His future was riding on this. What if he had to stay in prison twenty-five years? His children would be grown by then. He would be old. Mac walked around the room. "I want these handcuffs off me!" he yelled.

"Just relax," Covington said.

"Don't tell me to relax! I haven't done anything! They're making me a murderer! After all these years I have spent on the force…" Mac pulled at the cuffs. "I want these things off me!"

Covington went over to Mac. "Stop that," he said. "If they see you doing this, you'll look guilty."

Mac felt like he could not breathe. "I can't stay in here!" he said. He pulled at the handcuffs again.

"You're panicking. Stop!" Covington shook Mac's shoulders. "Stop!"

Mac stared at him. His lungs hurt. "I need to lie down," he said.

"Come over here and sit down."

Mac sat down at the table. Then the door opened and Jenny came in. "Thank goodness you're here," Covington said. "He's panicking."

Jenny pulled a chair out and sat beside Mac. "Honey, calm down," Jenny said.

"Why does everybody keep telling me that? Y'all can say that because you're not the ones about to be put in state prison, where probably a quarter of the people in there were put there by me. What do you think they're going to do to me?"

Jenny put her arm around Mac. "We will get you out," she said.

"How long will I have to stay in there though? Until I'm beat up or raped or something? Maybe I'll be killed, then it won't matter, will it?"

Jenny was crying. "I'll be praying for you," she said.

"I'll need it."

Soon, they called them back into the courtroom. Mac stood to hear his destiny announced. The jury decided there was enough evidence for a trial. "Your Honor," Covington said. "I think Detective Taylor should be released on his own recognizance. He has provided this city with exceptional service. He should have the courtesy of being at home until his trial."

"May I remind you that 'Detective' Taylor is accused of murder, and this isn't the first time," Gloria said. "He has the means to flee from this, and he also has a family. He should be kept in prison until this trial."

The Judge listened and then gave his judgement. "Detective Taylor will be transferred to state prison today," he said. "His bail is set at one million dollars."

Mac could not believe what he had just heard. The guards came to get him. Mac looked around to find Jenny in the audience. She had been right behind him. "I love you," Mac said.

"I love you too," Jenny said.

Mac jerked away from the guards and went over to the rail and kissed Jenny. The guards pulled him away and carried him out. Ernest Covington looked at Jenny. "You guys better do some fancy investigating," he said.

"Is there no way to get him out of prison?" Jenny asked.

"If you have a million dollars."

"We'll just have to get him out the other way."

"What other way?"

"Prove him innocent."

Mac was carried to a holding area until his transfer was finalized and signed. He thought if he got a chance, he would run. Maybe he could overpower those guards when they carried him out to the vehicle. He sat in the room for an hour, and then they came to take him to prison. Mac looked around him while they were taking him outside.

The guard could sense Mac's tension. "You relax," he said. "You try anything, and you'll be in even more trouble."

Mac did not care what he said. When they got to the corner of the building, Mac kicked one of the guards and took off running down the street. "Stop!" one of the guards yelled.

Mac kept running, but not for long. He felt something hit him in the back, and he collapsed to the ground in a spasm of electric shock. Then the guards were around him. One of them put his knee in Mac's back, while the other put restraints on his ankles. They got Mac up and took him to the car. He just lay down in the back seat.


	15. Chapter 15

Ray, Arthur, Chris and Melinda were at the lab. "We have to see that maintenance chief's office," Ray said. "He knows he's getting away with this."

They heard the elevator. They looked to see who was coming. Dorothy, Mac's secretary came into the lab. She was carrying Mac's coffee cup and sugar bowl. "These were back in the lounge this morning," she said.

Ray looked at the others. "He's taunting us," he said.

"What can we do about it?" Arthur asked.

Ray took the cup and sugar bowl. "We're going over every inch of these things," he said. "If there is a trace of anything on them, we're going to find it."

Ray gave the cup to Arthur. "I want you to fumigate that and do everything you can to find a trace of a fingerprint or drug," Ray said. "I'm going to examine this sugar bowl."

Ray's phone rang. "Hello," he said.

"Ray, what is going on?" Stella asked.

"We have Mac's coffee cup and sugar bowl. We're going to find it if there's anything there."

"I wish I was there to help."

"We're going to get it, Stella."

"Keep me informed."

"I will."

Ray and Arthur went over every inch of those dishes. Ray tested all of the sugar, but there was no drug there. He dusted the bowl inside and out, but there were no fingerprints either. Arthur's search was the same. "We know somebody washed these things," Arthur said. "If they hadn't, Mac's fingerprints would be on them. He used them every day, and Dorothy's prints would be on them."

"That's right," Ray said. "Maybe that's enough to suggest that someone is up to something."

"Let's get this to Mac's lawyer."

Just then, the elevator beeped again. Jenny and Ernest Covington came into the lab. "I hope you…" Jenny stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Mac's cup and sugar bowl. "Where did you find them?" she asked.

"They had been put back in the lounge," Ray said. "Dorothy found them this morning. We didn't find any traces of drugs or anything on them."

"But somebody had to take them and then put them back." Jenny looked at Ernest. "Isn't that worth something?"

"We'll try to make it worth something," Covington said. "Make a report about this. I want to know everything about this and anything else you find."

"We have to catch that maintenance chief," Arthur said.

"Surely he would have destroyed the evidence by now," Jenny said.

"He doesn't think anybody's going to catch him," Ray said.

"What about those blood samples we got at the crime scene?" Arthur asked. "Maybe there's a trace of that drug in that."

"It would be compromised by now," Ray said. "And besides, we used those samples."

"Is this really happening? We can't prove Mac is innocent?"

"We're just not looking in the right place. I want that security footage from the parking garage when Mitzi came and met Mac there."

"I'll get it," Arthur said. He headed for the elevator.

"If we can prove that she was blackmailing him, maybe we can bring some reasonable doubt into this."

Jenny sighed. "While Mac has to go into that prison," she said. "You know, even Sterns is in there."

"We have to work and figure this out."


	16. Chapter 16

Meanwhile, Mac was arriving at the prison. He felt so nervous, he wanted to try and flee again. "Relax!" one of the guards said. "You try to escape again, and we'll put you in solitary confinement."

Mac thought that would be better than being in there with all those prisoners. Who would he be in a cell with? Mac took a deep breath and blew it out. He could not show any fear in there. He reached for that inner strength he had learned in the Marines. '_Suck it up, Marine,' _he thought to himself.

The guards carried Mac inside to a room, where he was strip searched and then had to put on another prison uniform. Then they took him into the cell block. The other prisoners yelled obscenities at him, whistled. Then Mac heard a familiar voice say, "Mac Taylor!"

Mac looked at Sterns. "Well, it looks like we're in the same boat, doesn't it?" Sterns asked.

Mac glared at him. "You're guilty, I'm not!" Mac said.

Sterns laughed. "You're a dirty cop too!"

One of the guards shoved Mac, feeling his tension. "Just keep on moving," he said.

They finally reached the cell. Mac looked in to see whom he would be in with. There was a big black man in the cell, lying on the bottom bunk. He thought that guy would make three of him. Mac tried to swallow his fear. He knew these guards did not care what happened to him in there.

The guard took Mac's cuffs off and shoved him in. Mac heard the door lock behind him. He looked at his cell mate. He was locked in here with this guy, and the guards left. Mac looked at the top bunk. He supposed it was his bunk and he felt tired. He finally walked over to the bunks. He would have to climb up to his bunk.

"Don't put yo' foot on my bunk," the man on the bottom bunk said.

Mac looked at the bunk. There was no way he could get up on that bunk without putting his foot up on something. He noticed a box of tissues in the cell. He got it and blew and wiped his nose. Then he put the box up on his bunk. He put his toe on the edge of the bottom bunk and pulled on the top bunk to get up there. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed Mac's ankle and jerked him down. He landed flat on the floor.

The other man got down beside him. "I told you not to put your foot on my bunk," he said.

Mac could not believe it, but he sneezed. "Hey, you sick!" the man said. He jerked Mac up off the floor as though he did not weigh anything. "You got a cold or something?"

Mac swallowed. "I had the flu," he said.

The man stared at Mac a moment. He lifted Mac up by the collars. "Relax," he said. "I'm tired of being in this cell by myself. My name is Tyrell. What's yours?"

Mac stared at him a moment. "Mac."

Tyrell pushed Mac up onto his bunk. Then he got back on his own bunk. Mac lay down on his back. He could not believe what just happened. He was still trying to get his heart to calm down. He got under his blanket and lay down. He thought he had fever again.

When Mac woke up again, it was dark. He could hear the prisoners making noises. He pulled his blanket around him tighter. Then Tyrell's face appeared right in front of him. Mac was startled. He moved to the back of his bunk.

"Hey, relax," Tyrell said. He held up a candy bar. "My mother brought me this. I thought you might like half. You know, all my mother ever wanted me to be was a good boy. I got involved in gangs and just made a mess of things." He looked at Mac. "Would you like some?"

Mac swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," he said.

Tyrell broke half the candy bar off and gave it to Mac. "Sorry if I scared you," Tyrell said.

"Can you do me a favor?" Mac asked.

"Sure."

"If you want to talk to me, will you say something before you stand up here?"

Tyrell nodded. "Sure."

Tyrell got back on his bunk. Mac relaxed on his bunk. He could not make it in here if he kept being nervous like this. He looked at the candy bar which was a Hershey bar. Mac took a bite of it. It was definitely good. He had missed supper here. They had already been by the time he got here. He finished the candy bar and then went back to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Ray and the others were not sleeping. They were arguing with the Chief Inspector about the evidence. "You can't let them convict Mac on this flimsy evidence," Ray said. "You have to believe that something funny is going on with the cup and sugar bowl."

"Yes, I'll admit that is strange, but you still have no indication that the chief of maintenance is involved," Tate said.

"You can at least let us look in his office. After all, Mac was involved in the case that put Morris' father in prison, right where Mac is now."

Tate thought a moment. "Alright, I'll get the warrant," he said. "While we're waiting for it, I want somebody watching Morris."

"He's not here right now," Ray said. "He always gets off at six."

"Alright. When he comes in in the morning, I want someone watching him all the time. It needs to be someone he wouldn't suspect."

"We'll get it done."

Ray and the others went up to the lab. "This is the same way Alexander Morris was convicted," he said. "He was convicted with flimsy evidence."

"Yes," Jenny said. "Now his brother is trying to do the same thing to Mac."

"But why? Mac helped his brother."

"Maybe he doesn't see it that way. Maybe he is angry at Mac because he thinks what Mac did can't make up for what his brother lost."

"Why don't we go and talk to Alexander Morris?" Arthur asked. "Maybe he can shed some light on this."

"Good idea," Ray said. "You and Melinda go and do that. I am waiting for this search warrant."

Arthur and Melinda went to Alexander Morris' house and rang the doorbell. Morris opened the door. "Alexander Morris?" Arthur asked.

"Yes," Morris said. "You work with Detective Taylor, don't you?"

"Yes."

"I wish I could help him."

"Maybe you can. Can we talk to you a few minutes?"

"Sure. Come in."

Arthur and Melinda went in and sat down at the table with Morris. "What's this about?" Morris asked. "I don't know of any way I can help Mac."

"How did your brother react when Mac took your case and got your name cleared?" Arthur asked.

Morris looked down at the table. "He said Detective Taylor was trying to make up for a mistake that couldn't be fixed. He was angry because Detective Taylor offered my job back. He said if Taylor thought that would make up for the seven years of my life I lost and the humiliation I went through, he had another thought coming. I told him that was ridiculous. Taylor didn't put me in jail. He wasn't even here." Morris looked at them. "Are you accusing Travis of framing Detective Taylor?"

"We're trying to figure out what happened," Arthur said. "We believe someone drugged Detective Taylor and took blood from him and stole his coffee cup and sugar bowl, which was how they drugged him. Then his cup and sugar bowl showed back up in the lounge this morning."

Morris shook his head. "Surely Travis wouldn't do this. I can't see him doing this."

"We know Mac didn't kill that woman. He is not capable of murder."

"I believe you. I couldn't tell you whether Travis did it or not."

"Has Travis been here to your mother's house this week?"

"He was here Friday and Saturday."

"Does he always visit like that?"

"Sometimes."

"Would you let us look around?"

"What are you looking for?"

"Does your mother take any kind of prescription drugs? Any sedatives?"

"When all this happened with Dad, the doctor gave her sedatives to help her sleep."

Arthur looked at Melinda. "We need to see that medication," Arthur said.

Travis showed them to his mother's medicine cabinet. "Don't touch it," Arthur said. "Just point it out." He put on some plastic gloves.

Travis pointed. "That bottle right there," he said.

Arthur got the bottle. "Benzodiazepine," he said. "That's definitely a sedative. If he gave Mac a dose of that, he could do anything to him and he wouldn't know it."

"Why would he do this to the only man who ever tried to help me?" Morris asked.

"We're going to find out. We have to prove he did it."

Arthur and Melinda carried the bottle back to the lab. Ray and the others were still waiting for the search warrant. Ray looked at the medicine bottle. "Great!" Ray exclaimed. "Get that thing dusted and test that drug. If we can get the data on Mac's blood sample from the crime scene, maybe we can find a trace of it."

"I'm on that," Chris said. He went to the computer lab to pull up the information.

Arthur carefully dusted the medicine bottle. He found Mrs. Morris' fingerprints right away. He dusted every capsule in the bottle, and finally found a fingerprint on the last one. Arthur hoped this would be Travis Morris's fingerprint. He ran it through the system. It came back unknown. "Travis Morris has never been convicted of a crime," Melinda said. "His prints probably aren't there."

Arthur looked up Travis Morris, but his name was not there either. "Well, now if we can get his fingerprints somehow, we can compare them to the fingerprint on the capsule."

"Then what? We don't even have proof that Mac was drugged."

"Everything we do turns into a dead end."

"Unless they find something in Morris' office."

Ray finally had the search warrant. He took fingerprints to compare to the one on the capsule, but they still had to get Travis Morris' real fingerprint. They could not even prove that was his until they had the real thing to compare.

Jenny was searching the lounge again. She thought maybe there was a small amount of the sugar that could have been spilled in the lounge. Arthur had found a small amount of the drug in the bottom of the medicine bottle, which was unusual. It should not be able to get out of the capsules, unless someone opened one of them.

Ray went through every little nook and cranny in that office. He found a small amount of powder in the floor close to the desk. He hoped it would be enough to compare to the medication. He wondered what Morris did with that syringe he got Mac's blood in. He had to dispose of it somewhere. It had not been in the trash, so he must have hidden it somewhere. Ray wondered if Morris had it in his toolbox until he could do something else with it. He had to know they were watching him now.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, Mac and the other inmates were awakened at 6 a.m. They had to go and take a shower and then go to breakfast. Mac hated this. His nose started running as soon as he got up, and his throat felt like it was clogged up. He could not help but cough and then he sneezed. One of the other inmates shoved him. "Stay away from me, Man!" he said.

Tyrell walked up to the other inmate. "You leave him alone!" Tyrell said. He got Mac by the arm and jerked him back over into line.

Mac knew he was in trouble. People around here could just jerk him around like he was nothing. He had to get his strength back. He coughed some more on the way. They were given clean uniforms. He looked at that shower room. He did not want to go in there because guards did not go in. He looked at one of the guards. "I don't want a shower," Mac said.

"You're getting one anyway," the guard said. He shoved Mac toward the door. "Get on in there."

Mac went into the shower room. He went to a stall and washed as quickly as he could. He had been given a razor, so he shaved too. He dried himself and got dressed. Before he could get out of the shower room, Sterns and some of his crowd got between him and the door. "You in a hurry, Taylor?" Sterns asked.

Mac glared at him. "Why don't you just move?" he asked.

"I don't want to move. I like it right here. I guess you never thought you would be in here with your worst enemy."

"No, I can't say I did."

"The mighty Mac Taylor. Reduced to a lowly prisoner."

"You forget. I have the hope of getting out, you don't."

Sterns stepped closer to Mac. "You won't leave here alive," he said.

"We'll see," Mac said. He walked around Sterns and the others, and headed for the door.

Suddenly, one of the others grabbed Mac by the arm. All of Mac's Marine instincts kicked in. He came around with his other hand and broke the man's nose. The others took a shot at Mac, but he gave them all a lesson in Marine fighting, until Sterns kicked Mac's right knee. Mac yelled out with pain. His knee collapsed, but he hit Sterns in the stomach.

Then three guards came in. "Break it up!" one of them yelled. He grabbed Mac and threw him to the floor. He put his knee in Mac's back while another put handcuffs on him.

"They attacked me!" Mac said.

"Shut up!"

"I saw the whole thing," Tyrell said. "They attacked him!"

The guard jerked Mac up off the floor. Mac's right knee would not hold him up. "Stand up!" the guard said.

"I can't stand on my right knee," Mac said. He glared at Sterns. "He kicked it! He knew I have a bad knee!"

Mac and Sterns tried to get at each other. The guard holding Mac stuck a tazer in his ribs. Mac yelled out with pain and collapsed on the floor. Sterns landed right beside him. Mac did not know anything else until he woke up back in his cell. His ribs felt like they were on fire. He had to learn not to resist the guards. He should know by now that they will taze him. His mouth was dry, but his nose was still stopped up and running. He sneezed.

Just then, Tyrell stood up. "Man, you missed breakfast," Tyrell said. "You alright?"

"I guess," Mac said. "I got to learn to stop doing that."

"Don't ever resist the guards."

"I guess it comes from being a cop myself. I'm not used to being restrained."

"How did you get in here? You don't seem like a bad guy."

"I'm not a bad guy. I was framed. There was this woman who was accusing me of sexual harassment, and somebody raped and killed her, and planted my DNA at the crime scene and used my weapon to kill her."

Tyrell shook his head. "Wow. You must have a bad enemy."

"I don't know who is doing this."

"I get out in two more years. I intend to make something better out of my life."

Mac looked at Tyrell. "I hope you do."

"I hope you get out of here too."

"Thanks." Mac looked up at the ceiling. "I guess if you miss a meal around here, you miss it. There are no second chances, right?"

"Right."

Mac sighed. "I guess I'll lose some weight while I'm in here. I'm starving."

"Hey, my mom brought me two candy bars," Tyrell said. "I can let you have some of this one."

"No, you keep it. Your mom brought that for you. I'll be alright."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Mac turned over toward the wall. He felt weak from having the flu and not eating. He had missed more than one meal. If those guards had not come in that shower room when they did, Mac figured he would have been killed or beaten to a pulp.

Just as Mac was about to fall asleep, it was recreation time. That meant they were going outside on the yard. Mac just stayed turned toward the wall. He hoped they would think he was asleep and just leave him in the cell, but the guard hit the bar on the bed. "Wake up!" he yelled. "Time to go outside!"

"I don't want to go," Mac said.

"You're going anyway. Get up!"

Mac sat up. His ribs were hurting, and his knee was swollen. "I can't walk," Mac said. "My knee is injured."

"Then you need to go to the nurse."

Mac looked down at the floor. He did not know if he could get down from here or not. He supposed he had to do it anyway. He grabbed the bar of the bed and jumped down, being careful not to land on his right knee. When he put his weight on it, it was not as bad as he had thought it would be. It was stiff though. The guard took Mac to the nurse, and she wrapped his knee. He thought that made it hurt worse, but he supposed it would help the swelling go down. She gave him two aspirin for swelling.

After that, Mac had to go outside. "Do I have to go out there?" he asked the guard. "They want to kill me."

"Get on in there," the guard said.

He shoved Mac in and locked the gate. Mac stood beside the gate while he looked around to see who all was out there. Of course, Sterns and his crowd were out there, but they were on the other side of the yard smoking. Mac did not want to get out in the middle of this crowd. He knew there were several out there whom he had put in here. He walked over to a vacant bench and sat down. He hoped no one claimed this bench as their own. He looked up at the sky which was that beautiful blue it always was in the winter when there were no clouds. Mac had to admit the sun felt good, even if it was a little chilly out there. He let himself relax. No one seemed to be paying him any attention. He leaned against the wall behind the bench and let himself doze. He was incredibly hungry, but the sun felt wonderful.

Mac was startled when someone sat down beside him. He looked and it was Tyrell. "What you doing sleeping out here?" Tyrell asked.

"The sun feels good," Mac said.

"That bunch over there was watching you. I think they were waiting for you to fall asleep."

Mac looked at Sterns and his crowd. "He was a dirty cop," Mac said. "He was running a drug warehouse, and had half the police department in on it with him."

"And you caught up with him."

"Yeah. I hate that kind of situation." Mac looked at Tyrell. "How did you get yourself in here? You seem like a friendly person. You must have a good family."

"I got in with the wrong crowd. I was just as guilty as they were. I confessed though, and that's why I only got five years."

"You been in here three?"

"Yeah. Two more to go."

"Maybe they'll go fast."

Mac looked up at the sky. There was a jetliner passing over. He could almost tell it was red. He supposed that meant it was Northwest Airlines. He wished he and Jenny were on one of those right now going to the Bahamas. Mac knew they were going there this year. He thought maybe they would go on a cruise to the Bahamas. He remembered the last time he was in the Bahamas. He and Claire had gone there for their Anniversary. He was not sure he wanted to go there. Would he have bad memories? Well, they were not 'bad' memories; he supposed he could call them 'painful' memories. He remembered how much Claire had loved the ocean. He could remember her laugh.

Mac stood up. He did not want to sit here thinking about this. He had a beautiful, loving wife, who was alive. "You okay?" Tyrell asked.

"Yeah," Mac answered. "I want to go and lift weights."

They went to the weight room. Mac wished he could get on that treadmill, but his knee would not go along with that yet. He lifted weights until he was completely exhausted. He was really hungry now, and shaking from weakness. He walked back out onto the yard. He wondered how long they stayed out here. He had never worked in a prison, so he did not know that much about their procedures.


	19. Chapter 19

Ray had gotten an officer downstairs to keep an eye on Travis Morris. He was going to figure out what Ray could get Morris' fingerprints off of. Morris wore gloves most of the time he was working. Officer Reese watched him all morning. The only time Morris took his gloves off was when he took a break. He drank a soda. Reese watched him. He kept track of where he put the soda, and got the can from the garbage.

Reese went up to the lab and gave the can to Ray. "Good work!" Ray said. He took the can and dusted it for prints. There was more than one good one. He ran them against the prints from the capsule, and it matched. Ray felt a little hope now. He had to have absolute proof that this was Travis Morris' prints.

Arthur was watching, and so were Jenny and Melinda. "Now, we have the question: why would Travis Morris be into his mother's medication?" Arthur said.

"Exactly," Ray said. "Let's call Mac's attorney. Maybe he can get Mac's bail lifted with this."

"Let's prove that this is Morris' print first," Jenny said. "Get a warrant for Morris' prints and DNA."

"Right. I'm going to talk to the Inspector."

"I'm going with you."

Ray looked at Arthur and Melinda. "I want you two to go and see if you can get a peek into Morris' toolbox," Ray said. "He has to go to the bathroom some time."

"Right," Arthur said.

They all got in the elevator and split up. Ray and Jenny went to the Inspector's office. Ray told him what they had found. "We need a warrant for his fingerprints and DNA," Ray said. "That way, we'll have an unquestionable match."

"But you don't even have proof that Mac was even drugged," Tate said.

"Chris is working on that. It certainly makes things look different, doesn't it? And besides that, his brother told us what all Travis had to say about his situation. He was at his mother's house Friday, which was when the woman was killed, and then he was at her house on Saturday. He could have taken the bottle Friday, and returned it Saturday."

Tate thought. "We have to be careful with this situation," he said. "If we slip up, we could doom Mac to life in prison."

"That's why I want proof of his prints. If they don't match, then we'll know he's not guilty."

"But you won't have proof that he drugged Mac."

"Unless Chris finds some little minor detail in that blood sample."

"Why don't you search Mac's office again? I'll see about the warrant."

"Okay."

Ray and Jenny went down to Mac's office. "This office has been vacuumed since all this happened," Jenny said.

"Probably no traces of the drug left, then," Ray said.

"Unless he got a fingerprint somewhere that the Inspector didn't find."

"It's a long shot."

Ray and Jenny dusted every surface of Mac's desk and chair. There were some fingerprints on the chair. Mac had been sleeping in the chair when this happened. They lifted the prints. Jenny found a print on the bottom of the chair seat. She hoped it was not Mac's.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Melinda were watching Morris, who was on the fourth floor today. He had never seen Arthur and Melinda much, so they were working in one of the cubicles. Arthur saw Morris leave his toolbox and go into the bathroom. "There he goes," Arthur said.

Melinda went over to the toolbox with plastic gloves on. She lifted the top rack of the toolbox and looked in the bottom. She saw a syringe in the corner of the box. She put the rack back and hurried back to Arthur. "I saw it," Melinda said. She looked at Arthur. "What do we do?"

"We get to Ray and tell him," Arthur said. "You go and tell Ray, and I'll stay here and make sure he doesn't do anything with it."

Melinda went out to the elevator. She found Ray and Jenny in the lab. "Ray!" Melinda said. "We found the syringe!"

"Where?" Ray asked.

"It's in his toolbox! What do we do?"

Ray looked at the prints they had lifted from Mac's office. "We have to look at these prints," Ray said. "If one of these turns out to be Morris' print, we will have grounds to search his toolbox. Don't let anybody know you saw that syringe."

Ray ran all the fingerprints. Most of them were Mac's, but there were two that matched the ones from the capsule and the drink can that Officer Reese had gotten. "This has to be our proof," Ray said. "I have to get this to the Inspector. We have to get that syringe and see if it has Mac's blood in it."

Mac was back in his cell now. He hoped lunch was soon. He had not been this hungry since he had lived on the street. He was so hungry, he could feel the hunger pains up in his throat. Soon, the guards came to get them for lunch. Mac was definitely ready. He got down off his bunk and waited for them to let him out. "I guess you ready to eat," Tyrell said.

"You better believe it," Mac said. "I haven't been this hungry since I lived on the street for a case."

Mac could smell the food before they got to the mess hall and it smelled wonderful. He did not really care what it was. He soon had his tray and sat down at a table that was empty at the time. He tried not to eat fast, but it was hard. The food was mostly vegetables, but there was a hamburger steak too. Mac hated hamburger steaks, but today, he was glad to eat it.

Tyrell sat down across from Mac. "You better not eat too fast," Tyrell said.

"I'm trying," Mac said. He felt like his muscles were shaking from fatigue.

After lunch, they were taken to their cells. Mac lay down on his bunk and fell asleep in no time. Later, he woke with a coughing spasm. It always seemed to be worse in the afternoons and evenings. He thought he would choke to death, but finally it subsided. He lay back down. He could hear wheezing in his own lungs. He thought he must be getting bronchitis from that flu, which usually followed the flu. He did not think he had ever had a case this bad. He could feel stuff in his lungs. He wondered how the team was doing with getting him out of here.

Ray was talking to the Inspector. "We need that warrant," Ray said.

"How can you be so sure that the syringe is there?" Tate asked.

"It wasn't in his office. I want to search that toolbox."

"Alright. I already have the warrant for his prints and DNA." He gave Ray the paper. "Prove those are his prints."

"I will."

"If they are, you can go ahead and look in the toolbox."

Ray took the warrant and went up to the fourth floor. Arthur was still in the cubicle. Ray nodded to him, and Arthur followed him over to Morris. "Travis Morris?" Ray said.

Morris looked around at Ray. "Yes," Morris said.

"I have a warrant for your fingerprints and DNA."

"What for?"

"Suspicion of murder, framing and I could probably think of a few other things."

Suddenly, Morris shoved his ladder at Ray and Arthur. Ray caught the ladder. "Get that toolbox," Ray said. "He's mine!"

Ray went after Morris, who had gone into the stairwell. Instead of going down, he was going up. Ray was trying to catch up to him. There were only eight floors in this building, so he would top out soon if he kept going. Suddenly, Morris went through the door to the sixth floor, the lab. Chris heard when he came running in. Chris had a weapon in the computer lab. He picked it up and waited.

Suddenly, Morris came through the computer lab doorway. Chris aimed the weapon. "Hold it!" Chris yelled. Morris was startled, but he darted through the door to the lab, which was where Jenny was at the moment.

Jenny looked around. She knew who he was instantly: the man who had framed her husband. She tripped Morris and then punched him. Then she pulled her weapon. "You better not move," Jenny said.

Chris was shocked. "Good going, Mrs. Mac Taylor," he said.

Jenny glanced at Chris. "Thanks."

Just then, Ray came barreling through the door. He saw Morris on the floor. "Man, I wanted to get my punch in on that guy!" Ray said.

"I had first shot at him," Jenny said.

Ray raised his eyebrows. "You been taking fighting lessons from Mac?" he asked.

"Well, some of it was bound to wear off on me."

Ray put handcuffs on Morris. "You are under arrest!" Ray said. "For suspicion of murder, fleeing from the police and anything else I can think of."

They got Morris into the elevator and took him down to booking. "Like I said," Ray said. "I want your fingerprints and DNA." He shoved Morris down in a chair and handcuffed him to it. "Book him!"

"Gladly," Tim said.

When they had Morris' fingerprints, they were certain that they had them on the chair, capsule and can. Then they tested the blood from the syringe, and it was Mac's. Morris' print was even on the syringe. They even found a dropper in the toolbox with Mac's blood in it.


	20. Chapter 20

It took them until Friday to get the release order from Judge Mohler. Jenny could not wait to get Mac out of that prison. "I am going to get him," she said.

"I want to go with you," Ray said.

They went down and got in Mac's truck. Mac was lying on his bunk asleep when one of the guards came to the cell. "Taylor!" he said, loudly.

Mac was startled out of his sleep. "Get up!" the guard said. Mac got down. He had no idea he was being released. He had another coughing spasm.

The guard opened the door. Mac expected him to cuff him. "No cuffs this time, Taylor," the guard said. "You're being released."

Mac stared at the guard. He could not hide his surprise. "What?" he asked.

"They proved you're innocent."

Mac walked out of the cell. Sterns was standing at his cell bars. "So, you're getting out," Sterns said.

Mac looked at him and smiled his smirky smile. "Yeah," Mac said. "I'm going back to your old job."

Sterns glared at Mac. "You'll get yours someday," Sterns said.

Mac pretended to think. "Maybe, but maybe not." He smiled at Sterns. "So long." Mac looked around at Tyrell. "I'm glad to have known you," Mac said. "I couldn't have had a better cellmate."

Tyrell smiled, with brilliant white teeth. "Good luck," he said.

"You get out of here and make something of yourself."

"I will."

The guard took Mac to get his clothes and personal affects. Then they went to the gate. Mac could see Jenny on the other side of the gate. The gate opened, and Mac smiled. Jenny ran to him and he grabbed her up in a hug. "I knew you wouldn't stop till you proved it," he said.

Ray hugged Mac too. "It sure wasn't easy," Ray said.

"You guys are the best," Mac said. He looked at Jenny. "I want to go home."

Jenny grabbed his arm. "Let's go," she said.

They went outside. Mac smiled as he saw his truck. He looked at Jenny. "Where are the keys?" he asked.

Jenny held them up. "Let's go," she said.

Mac got in his truck and turned the key and that smooth engine came to life. He smiled. "I love this truck," he said. He looked at Jenny. "I love you too."

Jenny smiled. "I love you too."

Mac looked at Ray. "I even love you a little," he said.

Ray laughed. "Thanks."

Mac drove to the precinct and let Ray out. Then he drove home. He had never been so glad to see his house. For a while, he had wondered if he would see it again. He looked at Jenny. "Honey, I'm home," he said.

Jenny was crying. She kissed him. "Let's get in there," she said.

They got out of the truck and went inside. Maria and Mike were in the kitchen. They were surprised to see Mac come in. They hugged him. Maria was crying. "I am so glad you're out of that," Mike said.

"Where are my kids?" Mac asked.

"They're taking a nap," Maria said. "Mandy is at school."

Mac had lost track of the time. Today was Friday, he thought. He had spent almost a week in prison. He went to the children's rooms. He could not keep from crying. There were times during all this that he thought he would not see them again until they were grown. He just wanted them to wake up so he could hug them and play with them. He wondered if they would cry if he woke them up.

Mac leaned over Penny. "Hey," he said, quietly. "Wake up, little blondie."

Penny took a deep breath and turned over. "Hey," Mac said again. "Wake up."

Penny opened her eyes. "Daddy?" she said.

Mac smiled. "Yes, it's Daddy."

Penny put her arms around Mac's neck. "Daddy, I knew God would let you come back home!" she said.

Mac sobbed then. They had not even known where he was. "Daddy's home," he said.

Penny got off the bed and ran down the hall to her brothers' room. "Daddy's home!" she exclaimed.

Mac went out in the hall. Peter and Anthony came running out of their room. Mac had never been so happy in his life. He played with the children until it was time for Mandy to come home. He stood on the porch and waited for the bus. Soon, it came into sight. Mac smiled as Mandy got off the bus. "Daddy!" she said.

Mac scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the house. Jenny smiled. "We're all home now," she said.

Just then, Mac's phone rang. He got the phone and answered it, "Hello."

"Mac," the Commissioner said. "Aren't you coming in to be reinstated as Chief of Detectives and Head of the Crime Lab?"

"Not today," Mac said. "I'm spending time with my children today. I'll see you tomorrow."

Mac put his phone away. He was just a little irritated at them for letting him have to go to jail. He spent the whole afternoon with the children and Jenny. Mike and Maria went back home. Ray and Stella came over later to visit Mac. Mac hoped he did not have any more of those flu germs. He still coughed some, but he was not feeling bad anymore.

The doorbell rang. Mac went to the door. He was surprised at who was there. "Ralph," Mac said. "Come in."

Ralph went into the house. He was amazed at the house. "This is really nice," he said.

"Thanks."

Ralph looked at Mac. "I am so glad you're back home," he said.

"How are things going for you?"

"Just fine. I got myself a sofa the other day."

Mac smiled. "What have you been sitting on?"

"A chair."

"Would you have supper with us?" Mac asked. "Jenny is making some of her famous soup."

"I would be delighted," Ralph said. "If it's not putting you out."

"No. Have a seat."

Ralph sat down in the living room. He looked around the room. "Wow, this is some house," he said. "You designed this?"

"Mostly. I told the architect what I wanted, and he drew the blueprint."

"This is the most beautiful house I've ever seen."

"Thank you."

Jenny and Stella were in the kitchen. "Jenny, can I ask you something?" Stella asked.

"Sure," Jenny said.

Stella walked over to Jenny. "Would you keep the baby for one night?" Stella asked. "Ray and I need a night alone."

Jenny looked at Stella. Then she smiled. "I remember those days," she said.

"Yes, we even helped you with one of them."

They both laughed. "Did Mac know what was going on?" Stella asked.

"No, he didn't have a clue," Jenny said. "When do you want us to keep her?"

"Tomorrow night. I know Mac just got back, but we really need a night alone."

"I understand. Of course I'll keep her. Mac and I will be going away for our anniversary this year."

Stella smiled. "Ray doesn't know either," she whispered.

"Just bring her over. I will be here all day. I suppose Mac will be working."

"Okay. Make sure Mac keeps Ray busy."

"Okay."

Ray came into the kitchen. "What are you two canivers talking about?" he asked.

"Don't you wish you knew?" Stella asked.

Ray had the baby in his arms. "Must be something the way you were laughing."

Stella smiled. "I'm not telling," she said.

Later, they ate supper, and then everyone went home. Mac sat down in his recliner. As he reclined it, he thought about how lucky he was to be home. Penny came to him with a book. "Daddy, will you read this book?" she asked.

"I sure will," Mac said. "Get up here."

Penny climbed into the chair with Mac and he read the book to her. Then he fell asleep watching TV. Jenny came into the living room. She smiled at seeing him in his chair. She was so glad to have him home, she could not even explain it. She got the children a bath and got them to bed. Then she went to the living room where Mac was.

Jenny crawled into the recliner with him. Mac was startled a moment. "Why are you jumpy?" Jenny asked.

"I guess I thought I was still in prison," Mac said, and coughed. "I still cough a little, but I reckon I'm getting alright."

"I'm surprised I didn't have some kind of bronchitis."

"I guess you were too busy."

Jenny took the gold chain from around her neck, and took Mac's wedding ring off it. She looked at Mac. "Are you ready to wear this again?" she asked.

"Of course."

Mac held up his hand, and Jenny put the ring back on him. Then she gave him a passionate kiss. "I sure have missed you," she said.

"I've missed you too," Mac said. He ran his fingers through her hair. Then he coughed again. "Not very romantic, huh?"

"I don't care if you cough."

"I'll try not to. I usually cough when I first wake up. I think that sinus drainage runs down there and…"

Jenny put her hand over his mouth. "I don't want a science lesson," she said.

Mac smiled. "Sorry. I just get carried away."

Jenny kissed him. Mac hugged her to him. "I think I slept most of the time I was in prison," he said. "When I was outside that first time, I sat there in the warm sun and dozed. I couldn't believe myself. Then Tyrell came over there and woke me up."

"Who's Tyrell?" Jenny asked.

"He was my cellmate. He would make three of me, but he was one of the nicest guys you would ever meet. I felt like I was in the middle of a bunch of giants. People around here are tall."

Jenny stroked his hair. "I don't care," she said. "You're tall enough for me."

"Am I?"

"Of course."

"You're tall enough for me too."

Jenny gave him a seductive look. "Are you going to talk all night or are we going to get reacquainted?" she asked.

"I was only gone about a week," Mac said.

He laughed as Jenny hit his shoulder. "You man," she said.

"Don't beat me up now," he said. "I avoided that in prison, now I get home and…"

Jenny put her hand over his mouth. "Will you shut up?"

Mac laughed. "Hey, have you got me trapped here?"

"I think I have."

"I'll bet I can get you to move."

"How?"

Mac smiled his sly smile. He tickled her. Jenny screamed. "Shhhh," Mac said. "You might wake up the kids."

"Don't tickle me," Jenny said.

"Okay."

Mac looked at her seriously. "I love you," he said. "I missed you."

"Me too," Jenny said. "Let's go to bed."

Mac smiled. "I want to do something else first."

They got out of the chair and went to their room. Mac went to the stereo and turned on the CD with 'Lady' on it. Jenny smiled. Mac went to her and they danced. "We don't do this often enough," Mac said.

"I know," Jenny agreed.

"Do you think I should go in to work tomorrow?"

Jenny smiled. "Yes."

Mac looked surprised. "That was a quick 'yes'. Are you tired of me already?"

"Of course not." Jenny told him what Stella's plan was.

Mac laughed. "Well, I'm glad I'm on the other side of this secret this time."

"You were always so gullible."

"Oh really? You always had a whole army of accomplices, and they all knew what we were going to do. They all knew why I was smiling the next day too."

Jenny laughed. "Now, you'll know why Ray is smiling."

Mac shook his head. "How many recruits do you have this time?"

"Only you."

"Oh. So, you and Stella are getting pretty thick, huh?"

Jenny smiled. "She's a good friend."

"I know."

Mac hugged Jenny to him while they danced. He sang 'Lady, your love's the only love I need'. Jenny loved the feel of his arms around her. That was what she missed most when he was gone.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, the alarm came on at 6 a.m. Mac was startled out of his sleep. He sat straight up. He looked around him and realized he was at home. He lay back down and rubbed his face. Jenny put her hand on his chest. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"I was still in prison in my mind," Mac said.

Jenny kissed his shoulder. "Are you sure you want to go in today?"

"I need to. I won't stay there all day."

"I'll fix your breakfast while you get ready."

"Thanks. I can't wait to have some of your coffee."

Mac got a shower and got ready. He was wearing his dark green suit, white shirt and a green designed tie. He went into the kitchen. "How's this?" he asked.

Jenny smiled. "Very handsome like always," she said. She poured him a cup of coffee and fixed it for him.

Mac sipped the coffee. "Mmm, wonderful. Even better than before."

Jenny laughed. "Because you have been gone, my love."

Jenny brought Mac's and her breakfast to the table. "I hope I can handle this," Mac said.

"I think you can," Jenny said. "My breakfast is always good."

Mac smiled and looked at her. "You know what I mean. I'm talking about going in today."

"If you can't, just come home."

Mac took a bite of his egg and bacon. "That is so good," he said. He looked at Jenny. "I'm so thankful for you. I'm glad to have you to come home to."

Jenny smiled. "I'm glad to have you to come home to me too. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't met you."

"Me neither. I'm glad God brought you to me. He knew I needed you."

"I needed you too."

Mac leaned over and kissed Jenny. "I'm not staying at that office all day," Mac said. "When I get home, we'll take the kids and go somewhere."

"Like where?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know. We're going on a driving trip somewhere."

"Where?"

"I think we're going down in Mississippi and I'm going to show you that little town of Senatobia."

Jenny smiled. "You want me to see where you've been?"

"Yes."

"I would be delighted. What if we don't get home before night?"

"We'll stay in that hotel there. It was okay."

"Okay, so I should pack us a bag?"

"Yeah."

"I will be ready when you get back."

"Okay."

When Mac was done eating, he went to the office. He parked his truck out front because it was sunny today, and he did not really like going in that parking garage all the time. He looked at the building a moment before he got out of the truck. He was still just a little hurt that they would not defend him and caused him to have to spend a week in jail. He did not know if he was ready to go back in there or not.

Mac got out of his truck and headed toward the building. There were two reporters outside. They came to Mac. "Detective Taylor," one of them said. "We're so glad to see you back. How do you feel?"

Mac stared at her a moment. "I'll tell you," he said. "Don't come out here telling me that you're glad I'm back. You people tried to make me look like a monster, a murderer and rapist. I am a family man, and I would never do any such thing as that. I don't have anything to say to your little circus anymore."

Mac went on into the building. When he came out at his office, his detectives saw him. They all came to him and told him how glad they were that he was back, and so did Tim and some of the other officers. "Okay, y'all," Mac said.

"We're glad we won't have to be under Tate anymore," Carol Irvin said.

"Well, you will be."

"Not directly."

They all followed Mac into his office. There was a pile of folders on his desk and even some phone messages. Mac sat down. "I have to go up there and see the Commissioner to get my badge back," he said.

"Why haven't you already done that?" Tim asked.

"I don't know. I don't know if I'm ready. They let me be brought up on charges as a murderer and rapist." Mac shook his head. "That isn't easy to get over."

"Come on, Mac, we need you here," Jimmy Dilworth said.

They all waited for Mac to say something. "I'm going to be here," Mac said. "I just think I need some time to get over that predicament I was in. I still feel like I'm in prison. I have to shake this feeling of being closed in."

"We were so glad when they cleared you," Dustin Crowe said. "We didn't know what to do. It was Ray and the others who proved it."

"I have to go up there and look in on them next."

Mac looked at the case files on his desk. He had a lot of reports to sign. He figured he had some to sign upstairs too. His new office up there had been completed. He was anxious to see it. "I'll get all these reports signed before I leave today," Mac said. He stood up. "I better get up there and see my new office."

"Hey, can't we go with you?" Glenda Kennedy asked. "We'd like to see it too."

"I don't see any reason why you can't go, unless you're supposed to be busy."

"We're taking a break."

They all got in the elevator with Mac and went up to the sixth floor where the lab was. The elevator doors opened. Mac was still amazed when he saw it. It made him feel like he did not know where he was. The lab was made of glass, of course, so they could see who was coming out of the elevator. Mac's office was not straight across from the elevator now. It was around the corner, but it was not made of glass. Mac wanted privacy.

When Mac came out of the elevator, Ray, Arthur and Melinda were in the lab. They all came to him. Melinda hugged Mac. "Uncle Mac, I am so glad you're here," she said.

"Me too," Mac said. He felt much better now that he was in the lab. "I want to see my new office."

"Come on," Ray said. "You won't believe it."

Mac went around to his new office and opened the door. It certainly was bigger. He had a bigger desk, a new chair, and two windows. Of course, there was a new computer and everything. Mac did not think he had ever had a desk this big. It was bigger than the one downstairs. He sat down in his chair. It certainly wasn't adjusted to his height. He adjusted it and sat back down. "I guess this chair will do," he said. He looked at his team. "I missed being here, but I have to have a few days off. You all have been handling everything fine while I've been gone."

Mac's phone rang. He took it out. "Taylor," he said.

"Mac," Jenny said. "When you were making our plans this morning, we forgot that we are babysitting for Ray and Stella tonight."

"Oh, yeah, we did forget, didn't we?"

"I'm sorry."

"That's alright. It'll be fun."

"Okay, I'll see you later."

Mac put his phone away. He looked at his team again. "I have to get up to the Commissioner and get my badge." He stood up. "I appreciate all your support, but…" Mac smiled. "Get to work."

They all smiled and left the office. Mac went back into the lab. "How is everything going?" he asked.

"Okay," Ray said. "We're finishing up that case about Chester Freeman."

Mac looked at his watch. "I guess I better get on up there. I'll see you all later."

Mac went to the elevator and went up to the Commissioner's office. The secretary announced that he was there. Mac sat in the waiting room. He did not know why he felt nervous. He supposed it was because of the situation he had been in. He thought about that time he spent in prison. He was surprised that he did not get into worse trouble while he was in there. He supposed Sterns did not want to get into worse trouble himself. Mac did not have any desire to be tazed again. He had not really known that hurt so bad. He had heard suspects complain about it, but then again, they complained about everything. Mac knew now. He would never overlook what anybody said about those tazers again.

Mac looked out the window. The snow had finally melted. The sky was clear today, and it was warm outside for this time of year, even here in the South. He was glad it was warm. He was ready for some sun. He wondered how long the Commissioner was going to keep him waiting. He had wanted Mac to come down there yesterday. Now, he was here, and he was waiting.

Mac got up and paced back and forth a little. He looked at his watch. It was after 8. He wanted to get those reports signed and go home. He felt nervous. He thought maybe he was claustrophobic because of being in that jail cell. He looked at the secretary. "How much longer is this going to take?" he asked.

"I don't know," the secretary said. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, thank you."

The secretary got Mac a cup of coffee. "Who is he meeting with?" Mac asked.

"I'm not allowed to say," she answered.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be nosey."

"That's okay. If it was anyone else in there, I could tell you."

Mac was puzzled by that. "Okay."

Mac sat down and sipped his coffee. He was curious now. People should not tell detectives such things as that. If he's not allowed to know something, he wants to know it. Mac smiled to himself. He had been just as curious when he was a child. He remembered the time he had crawled up under the house when he was only five years old. He wanted to know what the plumbers were doing under there. His mother had hunted him for an hour before he came out. He smiled to himself. He did not think his punishment was funny then, but it was funny now. He remembered the look on his mother's face when he came out from under that house.

Mac was smiling, until the Commissioner came out. No one came out with him. Mac wondered who had been in there. "Come in, Mac," Murphy said.

Mac followed the Commissioner into his office. He thought maybe whoever was in there was going to talk to him too, but there was no one there. "I thought you were in a meeting," Mac said.

"I let them out through the other door," Murphy said.

Mac thought that was strange. Did he not want him to know whom he was meeting with? The Commissioner shook his hand. "Have a seat," Murphy said.

"I would rather just get my badge and go on back down to my office," Mac said.

Murphy looked at Mac. "I'm sorry about this situation, Mac."

"Well, I've been made an example of before. I know what's riding behind it all."

"Mac, we did what we thought was best. You have taken down bad cops."

"But I'm not a bad cop! You knew I didn't kill that woman! You just wanted to get a good review on the news, while I was dragged through the mud by the media, and spent a week in jail. If I hadn't had my team, where would I be right now?"

Murphy laid Mac's badge and weapon on the desk. Mac picked up the badge and put it on his belt beside his gold pocket watch chain. Then he looked at Murphy. "I want a new weapon," Mac said. "I won't have a weapon that has murdered somebody."

"We knew that, Mac," Murphy said. "Besides, your weapon is in the evidence from that case. This is a new one."

Mac picked the weapon up and looked at it. He put the holster on his side and put the gun in it. He looked at Murphy. "I hope if something happens again, I can have the benefit of the doubt," Mac said.

"It's according to the circumstances, Taylor."

Mac frowned. It was back to all business and politics now. "You better be careful having private, secret meetings in your office," he said. "Somebody might get suspicious of you."

"Don't threaten me."

"I'm not."

Mac left the office and went back down to his office. His team of detectives had a cake for him now that said 'Welcome Back, Mac'. Mac smiled. "You guys always think I need a cake, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Glenda Kennedy said. "It makes you sweeter."

Mac shook his head. "Very funny."

"I thought it was too."

They gave Mac a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. He went to his office to work on the reports. He took his weapon off his side and started to put it in the drawer of his desk like he always did, but then he remembered how he got into trouble in the first place. He collected all his folders and started out of his office, and almost ran into Dorothy. "Good morning, Detective Taylor," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," Mac answered. "I was about to take my weapon upstairs to my other office to leave it. I don't like wearing it in the precinct. If anybody starts looking for me, I'll be up at my new office."

"Okay. What is that extension?"

"I don't even know it yet. I haven't had time to get things figured out up there yet."

"Okay. Let me know when you have it."

"I will."

Mac went back into his office and got his family pictures and some other things from his office and carried them upstairs with him. It took him a while to get it all looking like he wanted it to look, but he was finally satisfied and sat down to work. He read the reports from his detectives downstairs and signed them. Mac stopped a moment and looked at the wall. He wondered how he was going to handle all this. He had a secretary downstairs and all his other detectives down there. He wanted to use this office though. He supposed he could just conduct all his duties from here. He had more privacy here and no one could get into this office and sneak anything out. There was plenty of room outside his office up here to let Dorothy have her desk out there. There was a lot of space between Mac's office and the lab.

Mac got his phone to call Dorothy, and just then, Ray walked in. "Mac, we have a call downtown," Ray said. "Did they call you?"

"No," Mac said. "I guess they're not used to me being back yet. They must have taken my phone off the log while I was out."

"I'll talk to them about it."

"I can handle it."

"Please let me. I want to chew somebody out. I am frustrated and just totally disgusted with this whole place."

Mac almost smiled. He knew what Stella had planned for Ray that night. "What's that about?" Ray asked.

"What?" Mac asked.

"That little smile there. I see it."

"You don't see anything. Let's go to the crime scene."

They went to the elevator. Just then, Arthur came out of the lab. "I'm going too," he said. "Melinda can work on that other stuff."

They went down to Mac's truck. "Hey," Ray said. "Can't we go in my new truck?"

"I guess we can if it will make you feel better," Mac said.

They went over to Ray's truck. Arthur jumped in the front so Mac would have to sit in the back. Mac knew they always wanted to pick on him when they got the chance. "The short guy in the back, huh?" Mac asked.

"Nah, the 'old' guy," Arthur said.

Mac shook his head. "Oh, so, I'm the old guy today."

"Yeah."

"He's still the short guy," Ray said.

"Where is the crime scene?" Mac asked.

"It's at the school."

"The school?"

"Yep."

When they got to the school, they went inside. Tim was there. "Hi, Mac," he said. "Come in here."

"See?" Ray asked. "When Mac is with us, nobody sees us."

"Fame," Arthur said.

"Will you two knock it off?" Mac asked.

They followed Tim into the school office. "The victim is the janitor," Tim said. "His name is Joe Sullivan. He's thirty-five years old. Been here about twelve years." Tim pointed at the mess behind the counter. "Apparently, someone came in here to rob the school of the picture orders. Looks like they came through that window there and were stealing the money when the janitor came in and caught them. Shot him twice in the chest."

Mac and Ray squatted beside the body. Mac felt the victim's hands. "He's not been dead more than two hours," Mac said.

"Whoever broke in here had to know that those picture orders were kept in here," Ray said.

Arthur got his camera out and took pictures of the crime scene. Then he took pictures of the body. Ray got up on a stepladder and checked for fingerprints on the window and windowsill but he did not find any. He figured the perpetrator must have used gloves. He took pictures of the window and looked for signs of a forced entry. "Are these windows left unlocked?" Ray asked.

"Who found the body?" Mac asked.

"We did," Tim said. "Someone called nine-one-one and said there were shots fired out here. They didn't see anything, but when we got here, we saw the window open and got someone to come and let us in."

"Who called it in?"

"They didn't give a name."

"Go around and see if you can find them."

Tim left the building. Mac did not find any evidence on the victim. He turned the body over to the ME's office after he got a blood sample and then went behind the counter to look at the clutter. The box the picture orders had been in was the only empty box. "Who does something like this?" Mac wondered out loud. "There couldn't have been a whole lot of money in there. Some people pay with checks."

"Credit cards too, probably," Arthur said.

"Credit card numbers."

Mac knew this was a big mess. "So we have to figure out who knew all this was here," he said.

"You think it was somebody who works at this school?" Ray asked.

Mac thought a moment. "We need to get a list of everybody who works here who has had their hours cut or anybody who has been let go for budget cuts."

Ray was writing all that down. "I'll have to get in touch with the principal. I don't think any of these people want to be bothered on the weekends."

Mac looked at Ray. "Neither do I, but here I am standing here with a dead body. I could be home with my wife and kids. You could be home with your wife and baby."

"Yeah. Okay, I'll get the principal down here."

Mac dusted the counter for prints. There were lots of prints on the side of the counter closest to the door. Of course, everyone who came into this office probably touched that counter. Mac dusted behind the counter. There were a few prints there. Mac wondered if the thief had used a car. He went outside and looked at the ground under the window. The ground was pretty soft, and there were two prints, but they had been swiped. Whoever this thief was, he was clever.

Mac walked out to the street there between the buildings. He could not tell if there had been a car parked here recently. Then he noticed a spot of liquid on the pavement. He shined his flashlight on it. He stuck his finger in it and smelled of it. "Motor oil," he said. He got a sample of the oil. How many cars could there be around here with a leaky oil pan? Mac smiled to himself. They could all be leaking. He hoped there would be something unusual about that motor oil.

Mac looked at the gate at the school entrance. He wondered how someone could come in here at night and not draw any attention. He thought maybe someone saw the person coming out and just did not know what they were seeing. He looked down the street at the houses. He had to find out if someone happened to be looking out their window early this morning.

Tim was coming back that way with a man. "Mac," Tim said. "This is Bo Strawbridge. He lives in that third house over there. He's the one who called in the gunshots this morning."

"Mr. Strawbridge," Mac said. "What time did you hear those shots?"

"Around six this morning. I wasn't sure where they came from. We hear gunfire around here sometimes, but I thought these sounded too close."

"Did you call right after you heard them?"

"Yeah, but I guess it took them a while to get here."

Mac thought about that. He could not imagine it taking them this long to get the message. "Do you own a gun?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course I do," Strawbridge said.

"What kind of gun?"

Strawbridge stared at Mac. "Are you trying to accuse me of this?" he asked.

"I'm trying to figure out what happened."

The man looked at Mac and then Tim. "Why would I murder someone and then call the police?" he asked.

"I don't know," Mac said. "Maybe you got surprised by the janitor and you didn't mean to shoot him, and when you did, you ran away and you called the police so maybe they could save his life."

"That's absurd!"

"I want to see your weapons."

"Not without a warrant, you won't."

"I'll get one."

Mac walked away, and Tim followed him. Tim looked at Mac. "You really think that guy did it?" Tim asked.

Mac shrugged. "I don't know. He could have. Anybody around here could have done it."

"You just trying to get under that guy's collar?"

"I like to be an irritant sometimes."

Tim smiled. "I like working cases with you. I never know what you're going to do next."

Mac smiled. "I found some motor oil over there. We'll analyze it and see what kind it is and how old it is. I want to know what kinds of cars everyone has who works here, especially ones with oil leaks."

"You really think someone who works here did it?"

"I think it was somebody who knew where they keep those picture orders." Mac looked at Tim. "I didn't know they had the picture orders in there, did you?"

Tim shook his head. "No, I didn't. I guess you're right."

"So, we'll start with employees, especially ones who have had their hours cut."

"Got it."

Mac saw a car coming into the school yard. Ray came over to him. "I think that's the principal," Ray said. "Chris got in touch with him."

The principal got out of the car and came over to Mac. "Are you the principal here?" Mac asked.

"Yes," the man said. "I'm John Hester." He shook Mac's hand.

"Have there been any job cuts here lately?" Mac asked.

"Of course. With all the budget cuts, we had to do necessary cuts to jobs that are less important."

"I need a list of all those jobs that have been cut. I want to know what kind of cars they drive."

"I don't know what kinds of cars they all drive."

"We'll figure that out. I want to know the names and addresses."

"Are they all suspects?"

"Sure they are. Whoever did this had to know those picture orders were here and where you kept them. I assume the janitor surprised them. Is he always here on Saturdays?"

"Sometimes. If he doesn't get everything done, he comes in and works a while on Saturday."

Mac wondered about that. "So, some people are getting cut, and the janitor is getting more work."

"It's just the way things are. I'll get that list for you."

Mac looked at Ray. "What do you think?" Ray asked. "You think they came here to kill the janitor and stole the pictures to make it look like a robbery instead of a cold-blooded murder?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself. We need to talk to some of the people who work here and see if the janitor had any enemies or if anybody was especially bitter about their hour cuts."

"This case sounds more complicated all the time."

"It gives us something to do."

Mr. Hester brought them the list of people with hour cuts. Mac, Ray and Arthur went back to the lab. They put the fingerprints into the system. Mac figured there were prints from everybody at that school on that counter, even the children. "These are no good," Mac said. "There are too many doners."

"At least there aren't many people on this list," Ray said.

"The oil from the pavement?"

Arthur tapped on the computer keyboard. "It is Pennzoil," he said. "Fifteen-W-Forty. It has a special additive in it that goes with diesel engines."

Mac looked at the analysis. "Great. That should narrow our search down." Mac printed that evidence out and put it in his folder. "I'm going down to the morgue to see if Jim has those bullets yet."

Mac went to the elevator. His phone rang just as he stepped in. "Taylor," he said.

"Mac," the Commissioner said. "It's time for your yearly physical. Your appointment is Monday morning at eight. You have to be fasting. Don't eat anything after Midnight."

"You're kidding," Mac said. "Do I have to do that now?"

"Yes. It won't take long."

Mac sighed. "Alright."

Mac went down to the morgue. He hated that physical. The doctor always had to be a woman. He hated being examined by a woman. He smiled. The only woman he wanted to be examined by was Jenny. He went into the morgue. Jim had a magnifying glass studying the wound on the victim. Mac loved to sneak up on Jim when he was concentrating on a dead body. He walked slowly over to Jim and looked over his shoulder through the magnifying glass. "Interesting," Mac said.

Jim jumped. He looked at Mac. "Why do you always have to do that?" he asked.

Mac smiled. "I have to cheer this place up sometimes. Do you have the bullets?"

"I have one of them," Jim said.

Mac looked at him, as he took the dish with the bullet in it. "Where's the other one?" he asked.

"I'm still looking for it."

Mac was puzzled. "You mean it isn't in the wound tract?"

"Not directly."

Mac shook his head. "I suppose 'not directly' means it is somewhere unusual in the body?" he asked.

Jim looked at Mac. "You won't believe it."

"Try me."

Jim put the scanner over the body. "You see that?" he asked.

Mac leaned over and stared at the x-ray. He could see the wound. "I see it."

"Watch this." Jim went down. "See where the wound tract goes into the aorta right there? Then, it comes out in the abdomen and lodges…" Jim looked at Mac.

Mac stared at the x-ray. He could not believe it. "In the colon?" he asked.

"Yes. I wouldn't have guessed it was the bullet if I hadn't known he was shot twice."

"Well, can you remove it, please?"

"Yes."

Mac stayed there while Jim removed the bullet. "I haven't seen anything like this," Mac said. He looked at the bullet in the dish. "Thanks, Jim."

Mac headed for the elevator. "Mac," Jim said.

Mac stopped. "Yes?"

"Can you try not to be so quiet the next time you come in?"

Mac smiled. "I'll try."

"It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back."

Mac got in the elevator and went back up to the lab. "I have the bullets," he announced.

Mac scanned the bullets into the system and ran them through. There were no matches. He hoped he could get some kinds of clues from the list of people from the school. He would have to find out which of them drove diesel engine vehicles.

Mac looked at the list. He would start with the people who had been laid-off. He hated that term 'laid-off'. They might as well say 'fired'. It was the same thing. Mac went to his office and sat at his desk. He had several messages on his desk. Dorothy had obviously been up here. He put his glasses on and looked through his messages. Glenda Kennedy and Nancy Howell had a new case. They had left a report on his desk. Jimmy Dilworth and Carol Irvin also had a new case. Mac read the reports. Glenda and Nancy were investigating a rape, and Jimmy and Carol were investigating a home invasion. Someone had broken into a home and beat up the husband and raped the wife. The children were found hiding in their closet. Mac stared at that report. He would like to get in on that one, but he had to stay on this murder.

Mac got his list of people from the school. He divided it into two lists: one of people laid-off, and the other of cutbacks. There were ten people on the list. There were four who had been laid-off. Mac took that list and started out of his office, but Ray almost knocked him down coming in. "Excuse me," Mac said. "Do you have to come in like a storm?"

"Sorry," Ray said.

"I feel like I'm going in circles. I'm trying to keep up with everybody downstairs and with everything up here."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go and interview some people. Come on with me."

They went down to Mac's other office first. "I have to move the rest of my stuff up to my other office," Mac said. "I also want my secretary's desk moved up there. She can be outside my office in some of that space between my office and the lab."

Ray shook his head. "I can't believe you have a secretary," he said.

"Believe it. I do. It took me a while to get used to it, but now, I don't miss calls and messages."

"Great."

There were no messages on his desk, so Mac went out to Dorothy. "Detective Taylor," she said. "I left your messages and folders on your desk upstairs," she said.

"Yes, I found them," Mac said. "Thank you. I intend for your desk to be moved upstairs. There's plenty of room up there, and I'd like you to be up there."

"When are you moving me?"

"Next week sometime. I'll get the request in."

"Okay. Will I have an office?"

"No. You'll be outside my office."

"Okay."

Mac and Ray went out to Mac's truck. "Our first on the list is Calvin Stratton," Mac said. "He was part of the janitorial service at the school. He was let go back in November."

Mac drove to the address, which was an apartment. He made a note of the vehicle out front, which was a Ford F-350, which uses diesel fuel. Mac looked at Ray. "Well, there's a diesel engine," Mac said. "You see if it's leaking oil while I check out this suspect."

Ray went over to the pickup. Mac headed for the door of the apartment. Before he got there, the door opened. "Hey, what are you doing to my truck?" the man asked.

Mac stopped. "Just relax," he said. He showed the man his badge. "I'm Detective Mac Taylor. We're investigating a murder and robbery that took place at the school this morning. Are you Calvin Stratton?"

"Yes," the man said. "What are you talking about? What does a murder and robbery have to do with my truck?"

"We have to see if you have an oil leak."

Stratton stared at Mac. "Are you accusing me of murder?" he asked.

"I'm eliminating suspects. Where were you this morning around six?" Mac asked.

"In bed."

"Anybody can verify that?"

"My wife."

"She here?"

"No, she's gone to work."

"What time did she leave?"

"About seven."

"Where does she work?"

"At the hospital. She's a nurse."

Mac wrote that down. "What's her name?"

"Wanda Stratton."

"Okay."

Ray came over to them. "There's no oil leak," he said.

Mac looked at Stratton. "What kind of oil do you use in that truck?" Mac asked.

"I get it changed at the Ford Dealership. They put the oil in," Stratton said.

"You don't know what kind they put in?"

"I don't ask. They put the right kind."

"Well, we have to get a sample of that oil."

They went over to the truck. Ray pulled the dipstick out and got a sample of the oil, and they took Stratton's fingerprints. Then Ray and Mac went to Mac's truck. "If he gets it changed at the Ford place, they don't use Pennzoil," Ray said.

"We still have to check," Mac said.

Mac looked at his list. "The next is Eleanor Stewart," he said.

Mac drove to the address, which was a house this time. It had a garage, so Mac figured the car was inside the garage. He and Ray went up to the door. Mac knocked. They waited, and soon heard someone unlocking the door. A man, who looked to be in his forties, opened the door. "Yes?" he said.

"I'm Detective Mac Taylor, this is Detective Ray Barnes. We're investigating the murder and robbery that happened over at the Middle School this morning. Does Eleanor Stewart live here?"

"Yes, that's my wife," the man said.

"And you are?"

"My name is George Stewart. What's this about?"

"We need to talk to your wife, and we also need to see your car."

"You got a warrant?"

Mac looked at Ray. "Sir, we just want to eliminate your wife as a suspect. If she's not guilty of anything, this will clear her."

George stared at Mac a moment. "Okay, come in," he said.

Mac and Ray went inside. Eleanor Stewart was coming from the kitchen. "Eleanor," George said. "These detectives want to talk to you. There was a robbery and murder over at the school this morning."

Eleanor was shocked. "Who was murdered?" she asked.

"The janitor, Joe Sullivan," Mac said.

"What happened?"

"Apparently, he surprised a burglar trying to steal the picture orders."

"Did the thief get away?"

"Yes. We're trying to figure out who killed him and stole that money."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I understand you were laid off from your job at the school."

"Yes, I was on the cleaning crew and cleaned up the cafeteria after the meals."

"So, they decided your job was unnecessary."

"Budget cuts. Somebody had to go."

"What kind of car do you drive?"

"A Dodge Charger. Why?"

"Whoever broke into the school had a vehicle that was leaking oil and it was the kind of oil used in diesel engines."

"We don't have any vehicles that use diesel."

"We need to take your fingerprints for elimination."

After they had the woman's fingerprints, they checked the vehicles, and then went back to Mac's truck. "This could take all day," Ray said.

"More than all day," Mac said. He knew he had to get Ray home tonight. He looked at his watch. It was nearly lunchtime already.

"Let's get something to eat," Ray said.

"Where?"

"I want a steak."

"A steak?"

"Yes. I am hungry. I want to eat meat."

"Let's take this evidence back to the lab, and then we'll go," Mac said.

Mac drove back to the office. They took the evidence to the lab. "Test these oils," Mac said to Arthur. "Then go and get something to eat."

"Yes, sir," Arthur said.

Mac looked at him. "Y'all know that I don't like to be called 'sir'," he said.

"But we like to call you that."

"Why?"

"Respect. We all have a lot of respect for you."

"Thanks, but you don't have to call me 'sir'."

"Forget it, Mac," Ray said. "We'll call you sir anyway."


	22. Chapter 22

Mac went to his office to see if there were any messages on his desk. There was only one, but there were two more reports on his desk from his other two teams of detectives. Mac knew he would be looking into these cases when he had the time. The lab had even been analyzing evidence for the first two. He wanted to get involved.

Ray came to Mac's office. "Are we going to lunch?" Ray asked.

Mac nodded. "Yeah, just give me a minute." Mac looked at the report from Dennis Welch and Ronnie Cooper. They were investigating an armed robbery that occurred over at the Exxon gas station. The thief had hit the attendant over the head with his gun and robbed the cash register.

Dustin Crowe also had a case. He was investigating a church robbery. His partner was out today. She had the flu that was going around. Mac certainly understood her not being able to be here. He read over the case and then put the folders in the basket on his desk. The message on his desk said that he got a call from the Commissioner. Why did he have to call him all the time? Mac realized he was pretty powerful around here though, now that he was Chief of Detectives.

Ray came back into Mac's office. "Mac, are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes, I am ready to go."

They went down to Mac's truck, and he drove over to the Outback. They went inside and got in line. "Looks like a lot of people are in the mood for steak," Mac commented, looking at the line.

"I hate waiting in line," Ray said. "I am impatient today."

Mac looked out the window. "At least the sun is shining. Maybe that's why so many people are out."

"Yeah. The sun brings us all out of our caves."

"I'm glad to be out of my prison."

"What was it like in prison?"

"Lonely, scary part of the time, routine, miserable."

"Sounds terrible."

"I was in the cell with this big black guy. He would make three of me, but he was one of the nicest people you could meet. He even gave me part of a candy bar his mother brought him. He wouldn't let anyone run over me if he was around. I never did see Vance Morris. Sterns was there though. He and I got into it in the shower room. Both of us got tazed." Mac looked at Ray. "You know, those things hurt."

"Do they?" Ray asked. "I've never had the unfortunate privilege of feeling one."

Mac listened to the love song that was playing. He smiled. He liked good love songs. "What are you smiling about?" Ray asked.

Mac looked at him. "Don't you hear that song?" he asked.

Ray listened. He could not help but smile. "Yeah." He looked at Mac. "I should be thankful that I have a good wife like Stella instead of thinking about my misery."

"Good idea."

The next song came on. Mac thought they must be just playing that whole album. He had heard some of those love songs before. He wanted to dance with Jenny when he heard these songs. He thought he would go to the store later and see if he could find some CD's. He was lost in his thoughts when the waitress came to take their order.

"Hey!" Ray said, and waved in Mac's face. "Are you going to order?"

"Yeah," Mac said. "Sorry." He ordered his meal and then started listening to the music again.

"You really like music, don't you?" Ray asked.

"Yes. You know I do. When I hear love songs, it makes me want to dance with Jenny."

"You two dance a lot?"

"Not a lot. We don't dance as much as I would like to."

Mac's phone rang. "Taylor," he said.

"Mac, those oil samples you brought didn't match the one from the crime scene."

"I didn't think they would. I have eight more people on my list to investigate."

"The bullets are thirty-eight calibers."

"Okay. Just keep me posted."

Mac put his phone away. "Those oils didn't match," he said. "Like we thought."

"So, we have eight more people to question."

"Yes, but we won't get to all of them today."

"Why not? We have all night."

Mac did not know how he was going to keep this from Ray. "We're going home tonight," he said.

"Yeah. I miss my baby, well, babies, during the day. You sure we can just go home and let this go until tomorrow?"

"Monday morning is when all those people will be at the school. We could wait until then to interview the others. We can go to the other two who were laid off today."

"You got something planned for tonight?" Ray asked.

Mac thought a moment. "Yeah."

"I guess you have since you've been gone a whole week almost."

Mac smiled. He thought he would be spending this evening with his family on the road somewhere, but now they were babysitting for Ray and Stella so they could get reacquainted. Mac looked at Ray, who was staring at him. "What?" Mac asked.

"You sure are quiet about that," Ray said.

"I'm always quiet about that."

Ray sipped his water. "It looks like that waitress could bring our drinks," he grumbled. "I'm tired of drinking this water."

Mac took his list of suspects out. "Our next stop is Jed Steele and then Ross Pickle. Hopefully, they will get us somewhere."

"We'll see."

When they were done eating, they headed for Jed Steele's residence. Mac turned his CD player on and turned it up loud. He put his shades on. He loved to listen to music when he was driving. Ray looked at Mac, who was moving to the music. "You do this all the time?" Ray asked.

Mac looked at him. "Hey, don't rain on my parade," he said.

Ray had to smile at that. He knew Mac was right. He had a lot to be happy about. Ray looked out the window and listened to the music. It seemed to go along with the sun shining.

Soon, they were at the address. Jed Steele lived in a trailer. There was a Dodge Ram Bighorn Edition in the driveway. "Well, there's another diesel engine," Mac said.

"Gas guzzler," Ray said.

Mac thought Ray had to look at the bad side of everything. He did not like that truck either. It was way too long. He liked his Avalanche just fine. Mac went up and knocked on the door of the trailer. The door opened, and there was a man there with gray hair and dark eyes. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Are you Jed Steele?" Mac asked.

"Yes."

"I'm Detective Mac Taylor. I'm investigating the robbery and murder that happened at the Middle School this morning. I understand you worked there."

"Yes, after twenty years there."

"Where were you this morning?"

Jed looked out at Ray. "Hey, what is he doing to my truck?" he asked.

"He's checking it for oil leaks," Mac said. "He also needs a sample of the oil. Whoever robbed that school this morning had a diesel truck. I need to know where you were this morning."

"You think I did it?" Steele asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out. Where were you this morning around six?"

"I was here in bed."

"Anybody can verify that?"

"No. My wife died a year ago, and no, I didn't have anybody here with me."

Steele came out the door. "I want him to get away from my truck," he said.

"He's not going to hurt your truck," Mac assured him.

"I don't like people messing with my truck. It's about all I have left. You know, you don't get much for unemployment."

"Yes, I know. Did you break into the school to steal that picture money and wind up killing the janitor?"

"No, I did not! Don't come here and accuse me of murder."

"I need to take your fingerprints."

"Not without a warrant, you won't."

"It's for elimination."

"I don't have to give you anything. I haven't done anything."

"Well, if the oil in your truck matches that oil at the crime scene, you're going to look really guilty for being uncooperative."

"It won't because I wasn't there."

"What kind of oil do you use?"

"Quaker State."

Mac sighed as he knew that was not the kind of oil that came from the vehicle that had been outside the school. "If you're not guilty, your prints will prove it," he said. He had heard that line before. He knew that did not make anyone feel any better.

"Just get out of here," Steele said.

Ray came over to Mac. "It doesn't have an oil leak. I need a sample from the engine," Ray said.

Mac looked at Steele. "We need a sample of that oil," he said. "You can give it to us, or we'll take the truck downtown and get it there."

Steele glared at Mac. He went to the truck and raised the hood for them. Ray got a sample of the oil. Then they went on to the next suspect, which was Ross Pickle. He lived in a small brick house in a quiet neighborhood. This guy had a Ford F-150, which was not a diesel. Mac knocked on the door anyway. A man with blonde hair and bright blue eyes opened the door. "Ross Pickle?" Mac asked.

"Yeah," the man said. "Who are you?"

Mac was surprised that this guy had a New York accent. He sounded a lot like Don Flack. "I'm Detective Mac Taylor. I'm investigating the murder and robbery over at the Middle School this morning. I understand you used to work there."

"Yeah, I worked there for about two years. They laid me off. I been trying to find another job, but I haven't found one yet."

"Where were you this morning around six?"

"I was in bed," Pickle said. "Why? Are you accusing me of murder and robbery?"

"I'm trying to figure out what happened. Can anybody verify that you were here?"

"My wife."

"What's your wife's name?"

"Belinda."

Mac wrote that down. "Is she here?"

"No, she's working."

"Where?"

"She works for the Benton Law Firm. She's a lawyer. Can you imagine that? A woman that successful married to a guy like me working in a school."

Mac looked at him. "I guess that doesn't matter to her."

Pickle stared at Mac, as though he were pondering that. "Yeah, I guess not."

"Do you know of anybody that the janitor was in an argument with or who didn't get along with him? Maybe they didn't like following his orders."

"I'd say Tom Gentry. He was always complaining. He got his hours cut back and I suppose he might be a little sore about Joe getting more hours."

Mac wrote that down. "What kind of vehicle does Tom Gentry drive?" he asked.

"I think he drives a Sierra. Big truck."

"Diesel?"

"Yeah. Those things stink. Sounds like they're barely running."

Mac wrote in his notepad again. "Thank you," he said.

"What's he doing to my truck?" Pickle asked.

"We need an oil sample," Mac answered.

Pickle opened the door and popped the hood. Ray got the sample. He knew it was not the right one though because this truck does not use diesel. "Thank you for your cooperation," Mac said.

Mac and Ray went back to Mac's truck and headed out. "I guess we'll go on over and check out Tom Gentry," Mac said. He looked at his watch. It was almost 3:00. He was supposed to have Ray out of here and home by seven. He figured they had plenty of time.

Mac drove to Tom Gentry's address, which was an apartment. He did not see a GMC Sierra anywhere. He knocked on the apartment door, waited and then knocked again. He did not get an answer. "I guess he isn't home," Ray said. "Now what?"

Mac wrote in his notepad. "We get a wire out on his vehicle," he said.

"You think he did it?"

"No way to know until we find the guy."

Mac and Ray went back to the office. Arthur came out of the lab. "Mac," he said. "I found something." He came over to Mac.

"Hey, Mac!" someone said.

Mac looked, and Dustin Crowe was coming toward him, looking like he was on the trail. He came over to Mac and showed him his report. He was investigating the church robbery. "They stole the PA system," Crowe said. "They stole the donation box, which was kept up front in the church. It isn't emptied every week. They even stole a guitar out of the church."

Mac looked at the report. Arthur folded his arms. He hated having to wait while Mac looked at the 'other' detectives' reports. Mac glanced at Arthur. Arthur unfolded his arms. He was anxious for Mac to read his report of what he found at the school crime scene. Mac finished reading Detective Crowe's report and signed it. "You got any leads to a suspect?" Mac asked.

"Not really," Crowe said. "They used gloves."

"Keep me posted."

"Yes, sir."

Crowe went to the elevator. Mac looked at Arthur. "Now tell me what you found," he said. He looked at Arthur's report.

"See that?" Arthur asked. "I found traces of metal and paint in the office."

Mac looked at the report. "The paint is the kind used to coat industrial light fixtures, and the metal comes from the light fixtures," Arthur said.

"So, our thief, or murderer, has a job working in a light fixture plant," Mac said.

Ray looked at Mac. "You think they really went there to kill the janitor?" Ray asked.

"Could have." Mac thought a moment. "Maybe they had a falling out and this guy got hot under the collar, and he killed the janitor and made it look like a robbery with a casualty, instead of a murder with a cover up."

"So, they probably killed the janitor first," Arthur said.

"If it is like we think," Mac said. "Whoever did it must have known the janitor worked on Saturdays. Who will take his place now?"

"I guess that is the question," Ray said.

"That's going to be difficult to find out before Monday. I'm going to that school Monday morning and find out when everybody is there."

"So, what do we do today?"

"Make out reports. I am going to get into some of these cases my other detectives are into."

"What do I do?"

"You make out your report, get all the evidence in order and then go home at six."

"At six? Why six?"

"Cause I said so, that's why."

Ray turned to go to his office. Then he turned back to Mac. "Hey, are you going to do anything about that physical?" he asked.

"I'll look into it," Mac said. "Just stop worrying about it."

"I don't want to have a physical right now."

Mac went to his office and made out his report on the case so far. Then he picked up the folders from the cases downstairs. Dustin Crowe's partner was out with the flu. Mac thought he would become his partner for a day. Mac put his coat on and headed for the elevator. "Mac!" Ray called.

Mac stopped. "What?" he asked.

"Where you going?"

"I'm going to help Detective Crowe with his case."

"What am I supposed to do? I'm done with my report."

"Help Arthur with evidence, and go home at six."

Ray stared at Mac. "What's the big deal about six o'clock?" he asked.

Mac shook his head. "Just do it."

Mac went on to the elevator. Just then, his phone rang. "Taylor," he answered.

"Hi, Taylor," Jenny said.

"Hi, Sweetheart."

"I thought you weren't staying at the office all day."

"I'm caught up in a case."

"Is Ray going to keep his appointment at home?"

"I'm having a hard time keeping the secret."

"You could never keep a secret."

"That's because of the people around me."

Jenny laughed. "You better keep this one."

"I'm trying. I told Ray to go home at six."

"I better tell Stella."

"I can't believe I'm part of this. I remember being on the other end of this."

"You'll never be again."

"That's not funny."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I just don't like to joke about it."

"Okay."

"I'll talk to you later. I'm about to go and help Detective Crowe with his case."

"Okay."

Mac put his phone away. He came out of the elevator at his other office. Inspector Tate was there. "Mac," Tate said. "I was looking for you."

"I've been up at my other office. Speaking of that, I want my secretary moved up there. I'm going to use my office in the lab from now on. Nobody can sneak into it."

"Sure. I'll get that done."

"You had something you wanted to talk about?"

"I'm afraid your ordeal isn't completely over yet. You still have to appear in court about this whole situation with Mitzi Stark."

"But we know what happened now. Why do I have to go to court?"

"To get it down on paper, I guess."

"When?"

"Tuesday at ten."

Mac shook his head. "Do I need a lawyer?"

"No. They know you're not guilty. You have to testify about the situation with Glenn Tart and how all this got started."

"Alright."

Mac went to find Detective Crowe. When he walked into the Squad room, everybody stood up. Mac shook his head. "You all don't have to stand at attention when I walk in," he said.

They all sat down. "Where is Detective Crowe?" Mac asked.

"I think he's out on his case," Detective Welch answered.

"How is your case going?"

"We have a lead. We're trying to track the woman down now."

"A woman?"

"Yeah. The thief is a woman. She was caught on the security camera."

Welch showed the picture to Mac. "Definitely a woman," Mac said. "Anybody know who she is?"

"Not yet, but the attendant had seen a woman standing around outside before the robbery. She thought this was the same woman."

"She give a description?"

"She knew the woman was blonde. She wasn't sure about the eye color. I've been trying to find people who were around there at that time."

"Keep me posted."

Mac went over to Jimmy Dilworth, who was working on the home invasion case. "How's your case going?" Mac asked.

"We have a pretty good lead," Dilworth said.

"Where's Carol?"

"She thought she was coming down with that flu everybody's having. She went to the doctor."

"Who's your lead?"

"We think it might have been the wife's ex-husband. We haven't been able to locate him yet. Seems to have disappeared."

"So, you think he broke into their house and beat up the man who stole his wife and raped her."

"That's what we think, but I don't think he did it alone."

"Anything stolen?"

"Jewelry. The woman had a collection of diamond jewelry that the ex-husband had bought for her. It was stolen."

"What about the children? Did they belong to the ex-husband?"

"Yes. I guess that was why they weren't touched. We have councilors talking to them, but they are small. I don't think they really know what happened. The oldest child is eight. He got his brother and sister and ran into their closet when he heard all the commotion."

"Smart kid."

"Yeah. He called nine-one-one after all the noise stopped. He found his mother in her bedroom." Dilworth looked at Mac. "Can you imagine?"

"No. I want to know what happens with this case. I want this guy found and put behind bars where he belongs."

"This woman had those diamonds registered, and documented at her bank."

"Why did she have them at home?"

"They were going to a big shin dig tonight. I guess she was going to wear them."

Mac thought about that. "So, the ex-husband knew about it and knew that she would be wearing those diamonds."

"Right. Probably a routine thing for her."

Mac's phone rang. "Taylor," he said.

"Mac, I'm going to find out if Tom Gentry has a job at the local light fixture plant," Ray said.

Mac looked at his watch. "Go ahead," he said.

"If he does, he might be our guy. Seems that the metal and paint was tracked in by the killer. There were traces of it in the footprints outside too."

"Why would somebody risk this if they had a new job that pays more money than what they were making at the school anyway?"

"Hatred?"

"There are five more people on that list who got cuts," Mac reminded him. "If that plant was hiring, they could have put in for that too."

"I have a copy of that list of suspects. I'm going to find out."

"Keep me posted."

Mac put his phone away. He knew Ray would not want to leave that case until it was solved. He looked at Detective Dilworth. "Has anybody reported any jewelry being sold lately?" Mac asked.

"He probably wouldn't be that stupid," Dilworth said. "He could have left the country. He wasn't a suspect until today."

"Doesn't the woman know whether it was him or not?"

"No. She was hit over the head, and she has amnesia. She doesn't remember what happened. She doesn't even remember the rape."

"Check the airlines and see if this guy has flown the coup."

"I'm already having them checked."

"Nothing yet?"

"Not yet. He's most likely already gone."

"That would make this premeditated. He even had his escape plan in place."

Dilworth looked at Mac. "What do we do?" Dilworth asked.

"Everything seems to be at a standstill," Mac said. "What about the kids? Where are they?"

"They're with their grandparents."

"I want to talk to that eight year old. Maybe he recognized a voice. Kids know their parents' voices."

"Good idea, but they may not let us talk to them."

"Only one way to find out."

Dilworth's phone rang just then. "Dilworth," he answered.

Mac waited to see what the call was about. Dilworth was writing something down. He put the phone away. "He left on a flight for Miami this morning," Dilworth said.

"What time?" Mac asked, as he was getting his phone out.

"Nine a.m."

Mac scrolled down to Horatio Caine's number. "Caine," he answered.

"Detective Caine, this is Detective Mac Taylor."

"Detective Taylor, it's been a long time."

"Yes. I have a suspect who has taken a flight to Miami this morning at nine."

Horatio took his notepad out. "What is his name?" he asked.

"Thomas Hughes," Mac said. "He allegedly broke into his ex-wife's house and beat her husband and raped her. He stole some expensive diamond jewelry. He left this morning at nine on a Delta Airlines flight to Miami. We're thinking he might be heading out of the country."

"I will track him down," Horatio said. "I will get back to you."

"Thanks."

Mac put his phone away. "Horatio will see if he can track him down," he said.

"Who is Horatio?" Dilworth asked.

"He's an old friend. I've worked with him before. He's the head of the crime lab in Miami."

"You know everybody?"

"No, but I know the important people." Mac smiled. "Some of them anyway."

"What do we do in the meantime?"

"We wait."

"You gonna talk to the kid?"

"No. We'll wait about that. We'll get this guy first. If he's not guilty, why would he suddenly be skipping town?"

"Good question," Dilworth said.

Just then, Detective Crowe came in. "Mac," he said.

"I was looking for you," Mac said.

"Something up?"

"No. I was wondering about your case. I thought since your partner is out today, I would help you."

Crowe looked surprised. "I would be honored," he said.

"I think Detective Dilworth will have this case figured out in just a while."

"He knows the head of the crime lab in Miami," Dilworth said to Crowe.

"Oh really?" Crowe asked.

"Yeah. My suspect ran off to Miami."

"I still don't have a suspect. There were no fingerprints. There were no security cameras. Nobody around there saw anything."

Mac looked at the report about the evidence. "We need to see if they have had any visitors to the church lately," Mac said. "Maybe they find out people's names. Maybe our suspect went there and scoped the place out to see if they kept money there and to see what all they had that was worth money."

"How can somebody break in this church and carry all that out and nobody sees them?" Crowe asked.

"You'd be surprised. People just don't notice." Mac looked at the report again. "They went in through the back door?"

"Yes. It was easy to get in. The door only had the lock on the doorknob, no deadbolt or anything."

"I guess they didn't think anybody would be robbing their church. Have you talked to the pastor?"

"Yes. He didn't know of anybody who had been hanging around there."

"Did he remember any guests they had lately?"

"I didn't ask him that. I talked to him yesterday."

"We need to go and talk to him again. Do you have his address?"

"Yes."

"Come on then."

"What about me?" Dilworth asked.

"If Horatio calls back, I'll let you know."

"So, I just wait?"

"Yeah, unless you want to tag along with us."

"I do."

They all went out to Mac's truck. He drove to the pastor's house. Detective Crowe knocked on the door. They waited, and soon a man with bright red hair and green eyes opened the door. He reminded Mac a lot of Horatio, except for those green eyes. "Detective Crowe," the man said, smiling.

"Reverend," Detective Crowe said. "We would like to ask you some more questions."

"Certainly, come on in."

They followed the man into the house. "Have a seat," the man said.

Mac and the others sat down. "This is my boss, Detective Taylor," Detective Crowe said, "and one of my colleges, Detective Dilworth."

The Pastor shook their hands. "I am Reverend Charles Sheffield," he said.

"Nice to meet you, Reverend," Mac said. "I was wondering if you've had any guests at the church lately."

"Certainly."

"Do you remember any of their names? Can you describe any of them? Anybody act peculiar?"

"People visiting churches usually act peculiar, Detective."

Mac smiled. "I agree, but did any of them seem to be interested in the donation box? Did they offer to make a donation or anything?"

The Reverend thought a moment. "Now that you mention it, there was one guy who offered to make a donation," he said.

"Did he see where the donation box was?" Mac asked.

"He could have watched me."

"You know his name?"

"No."

"You think you could describe him?"

"Yes, I think I could."

"Would you mind coming downtown and giving a description?"

"I suppose I could."

"We would appreciate it."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Meanwhile, Ray was at the light fixture plant. He found out that all the people who had been laid off from the school and had cut backs had applied at the plant. Tom Gentry, Richard Garner and Ray Payne had all been hired already. Ray got his phone and called Mac…

Mac was just getting out of his truck at the lab. "Taylor," he said.

"Mac, all the people on this list applied at this plant," Ray said. "Tom Gentry, Richard Garner and Ray Payne have all been hired."

"So, one of them should be our primary suspect."

"Probably. You want me to go ahead and question them or wait for you?"

Mac looked at his watch. It was already almost 5:00. "Wait for me," Mac said. He went over to Detective Crowe. "You go ahead and find out what the Reverend knows. I have to go and help Ray with some interviews." Mac walked away. "_And get him home before Jenny and Stella put me out in the shop_," he said to himself.

Just then, Mac's phone rang. "Taylor," he said.

"Hi, Taylor," Jenny said. "I have little Melissa here with me. Where is Ray?"

"Jenny, I am trying. Ray is on a case, and he doesn't know anything about what y'all are wanting him to do, and I can't just order him to go home."

"Why not?"

"If I do, he's going to know something is up."

"You mean to tell me the mighty Mac Taylor can't handle this little task?"

"I never said I was mighty. I remember this situation. Stella comes in and practically throws me out of the lab. I should have known something was up."

"Tell Ray you will handle it. Tell him Stella wants him to come home right away."

"I guess I could do that. But then, he's going to want to know why she called me instead of him. You know how detectives are. We ask questions."

"Oh, Mac! Just get him home!"

"Don't get mad at me. You women are the ones who are always trying to be devious."

Mac could hear the baby crying. "How is the little one?" he asked.

"She's fine, but her mother is another story."

"Okay, I will try to do better."

"You better."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes."

Mac almost laughed. "Alright. I'm working on it."

Mac got in his truck and went over to the light fixture plant. Ray was waiting for him in the office. "Stella wants you to come home right away," Mac said. "I'll handle this."

"What?" Ray asked. "Is something wrong?"

"She just wants you to come home."

"She didn't say why?"

"N…Well, just go home! Trust me, she's waiting for you."

Ray stared at Mac. "Do you know something I don't know?" he asked.

Mac remembered asking that very question after Mandy was born. "Your wife is waiting for you," Mac said. "Just go."

Ray looked at Mac, and then gave him the papers he had. "Are you trying to get me off this case?" Ray asked.

"Trust me, and just go home."

Mac went into the plant. He went into the office and found the receptionist. "May I help you?" she asked.

"I'm Detective Mac Taylor from the Nashville Crime Lab. I need to see some of your new employees."

"That other detective was just in here asking about that."

"Yes, I know. I need to see Tom Gentry first."

"It will take me a while to get him here."

Mac looked at her. "Just do it as quick as possible."

Mac sat in the waiting room to wait. He called Jenny. "I told Ray to go home," he said.

"Good," Jenny said.

"He's suspicious, but he doesn't know anything. Poor guy. Doesn't know he's walking into a trap."

Jenny laughed. "Trap?"

"Yeah. You women are something else. 'Come into my parlor'."

"Are you calling us black widows?"

Mac smiled. "Well, you trap us."

"Don't you like being trapped?"

"Yeah. I'm a sucker." Someone came out of the office just as Mac was saying that. She looked at him with a funny look. He turned the other way. "I don't think this is the time for this," he said to Jenny. "I'll talk to you later."

Mac put his phone away. He realized the woman was still standing in the doorway. He just looked out the window. It was none of her business if he was talking to his wife. He hated waiting for suspects. He got up and paced back and forth.

"You're that detective who was accused of murder, aren't you?" the woman asked.

Mac looked at her. "Yes," he answered.

"Who are you waiting for?"

"A suspect."

The woman stared at him. "I wonder if you really killed that woman?"

"No, I didn't."

"Can't prove it by me. I know how the police department covers things up."

"Well, I already proved it so I don't have to prove it by you." Mac turned toward the window and looked out at the parking lot. There were a few diesel trucks out there. He wondered if any of them had Pennzoil in them or had an oil leak. He wanted to see Tom Gentry before he went scavenging through the parking lot. He knew Gentry drove a GMC Sierra from what Ross Pickle told him. That was a big diesel truck. Mac had never wanted a truck that big. They were too long and too hard to get into parking places. His Avalanche had a double cab, but was not extra long.

Mac waited about fifteen minutes, and then a man came into the office, along with the secretary. "Are you Tom Gentry?" Mac asked.

"Yes," the man said.

"I'm Detective Mac Taylor, I…"

Gentry shoved the secretary into Mac and ran out the door into the plant again. Mac went after him. "Detective Taylor!" the secretary called. "You can't go in there!"

Mac did not listen. He kept after Gentry. Mac could hear the loud pounding of those fabrication machines that cut out the metal into shapes. Gentry ran around through the middle of the plant. Mac knew this was dangerous, but he was not going to let him get away if he could catch him.

Gentry threw a small light fixture at Mac. Mac threw up his arms to protect his face. The fixture had a sharp edge, and it cut right through Mac's sleeve and cut his arm. He grabbed his arm and kept running. It was not bleeding badly, but it hurt like a big paper cut. Gentry ran all the way across the plant, and into the paint room. As Mac was coming through the door, Gentry grabbed a paint sprayer and turned it toward Mac. Mac realized it just in time to turn his face. It was powder paint, and it covered Mac. Gentry ran through the paint room. Mac had covered his face with his coat, but he still coughed a little as he went on after Gentry. They got out of the paint room and went out one of the doors, which looked like garage doors.

Gentry sped up when he got outside. He ran to the fence and climbed over. Mac could not believe how fast Gentry got over that fence. He climbed the fence and kept after him. They were close to the river, and Gentry was going that way. Mac got his phone and called Tim and told him where they were. "I'll be there," Tim said.

Mac put his phone away and kept after Gentry. They finally came to the river. Gentry went into the woods. Mac hated running through woods, but he was determined that Gentry would not escape. Gentry tripped over a big root and fell sprawling. Mac tried to get to him before he got up and started running again, but he was fast. Gentry got to his feet before Mac got there. He grabbed a tree limb from the ground and threw it at Mac. Mac got his arms up in time to protect his face, but the limb was big enough to knock him down.

Gentry was running again. Mac got up and went after him. Gentry ran around the corner of the concrete lock building. Mac stopped. He knew Gentry could be waiting around that corner. He took his gun out and eased around the corner. Gentry was there alright. He had a metal rod. He swung it at Mac and knocked his gun down the side of the lock. Mac realized they were on the edge of the lock. Gentry swung the metal rod at Mac again. Mac grabbed the rod and jerked Gentry back around the corner. They struggled over the rod. "You're not taking me in!" Gentry said.

"You don't have a choice!" Mac said. "Give yourself up!"

Mac shoved Gentry into the wall, but Gentry was stronger than Mac thought. He shoved Mac backward. Mac could not see where the edge of that lock was. He tried to stop, but Gentry shoved him into a tree. They still had the metal rod between them. Mac finally shoved Gentry to the ground and threw the metal rod away from them. Gentry was not beaten yet. He tackled Mac, and they rolled down the hill, almost to the edge of the lock. Mac wanted away from here.

Gentry punched Mac, in his moment of distraction. He kicked Mac, and Mac felt his feet go over the edge of the lock. He grabbed for a handhold, but there was none. Mac felt panic. That was at least a twenty-foot drop into that water, and a barge or boat could come through anytime. Gentry kicked Mac in the face, and Mac felt himself going over the edge. However, just under the rim, there were metal grips. Mac grabbed one of them. He got his other hand on another one. There were no footholds on that smooth concrete wall under him though.

Mac held on and tried to get his handhold better. "Don't leave me here!" he yelled to Gentry.

"Ha, ha!" Gentry said. "Down there, you can't chase me down and take me to jail!"

"Please!"

"I don't care about your begging." Gentry walked away.

Mac knew he could not hang here forever. He could not reach the top. It was about two feet from the handholds he was gripping. "Help!" Mac yelled. He tried to find a way that he could push up with his feet, but there was nothing. "Help!" he yelled again.

Mac remembered his cell phone. He was afraid to let go with one hand to call someone. "Help!" he yelled again. He did not see anyone or hear anything. 'What a time for people to be on break at this lock,' he thought.

Mac tried to calm his breathing down. He knew panicking would not help him, it would just drain his strength, which had not gotten back to full after his bout with the flu.

Tim was just arriving at the lock. He did not see Mac anywhere, of course. He got his phone and called Mac to find out where he was. He only got a voice mail. "Where is he?" Tim wondered. He looked toward the lock but he did not see anyone. Then he saw a man coming out of the woods a little further up the road. "Hey!" Tim said. "Stop!"

The man was Gentry. He looked around at Tim, and then took off running. Tim had two other officers with him. They all went after Gentry. Finally, Tim caught up with him and got him down. The man still had a lot of fight in him, but he could not get the best of three officers. They got handcuffs on him. "Where is Detective Taylor!" Tim asked. "Tell me now!"

"I'm not telling you anything!" Gentry said. "Why are you arresting me?"

Tim took the man's wallet out. "Why were you running?" he asked. He looked at the man's license. "Tom Gentry!" Tim shoved the man into the police car. "You tell me where Detective Taylor is!"

"Find him yourself!"

Tim had to fight the urge to punch that guy. "I know you were the one he was chasing! If he isn't okay, you are in trouble."

Tim looked toward the lock. He knew Mac could be out there anywhere. Gentry had come out of the woods. Tim headed through the woods. Of course, he did not see Mac anywhere.

Mac was still trying to calm himself down. His hands felt sweaty. He was trying to keep his handhold. He took a chance and let go with his left hand and wiped it on his pants to dry it. Then he grabbed his handhold again. He did the same thing with his right hand. He was starting to feel tired. He looked up at the edge of the lock. He could not even reach for it. "Help me!" he yelled as loudly as he could. It was starting to get dark. Mac knew when it got dark, no one would see him hanging here. Why would they be looking for anyone hanging here? He could feel sweat all over him.

Tim had come out at a different place than where Mac was. "Mac!" Tim called.

Mac thought he heard someone yell his name. "Tim," he said. "Tim! Tim, help me!"

Tim could not hear Mac from where he was. His voice was dampened by the concrete. "Mac!" Tim yelled again.

Mac felt desperate. He knew Tim might not be able to hear him. Mac leaned backward and yelled, "Tim!" Mac felt like his arms were on fire. His hands felt stiff and sore too.

Tim walked all along the river bank, and all the way back to the plant. He knew Mac was not here. He hurried back toward the river. It was dark now. "Mac!" Tim yelled.

Mac was starting to have cramps in his hands. He heard a tugboat blow its horn outside the lock. "Oh, God, help me," Mac prayed. He knew he could be crushed here. They would never see him. "Help me!" he yelled. His voice was starting to get hoarse. He heard the water level coming up. Mac did not know how far up that water came. He thought if it went up to the rim…but he was sure it did not. He looked down. He could see the water swirling around him as water was pumped in so the barge could come in. He knew no one could hear him now. That water sounded like a roaring ocean. Mac thought of Jenny and his children. They might never know what happened to him, unless he washed up out of the river.

The water stopped swirling. Then Mac heard the horn from the lock office announcing that the gates were about to open. Mac thought it would blow his eardrums out here in this confined space. Then he heard the locks turn on the gates. Mac looked toward the gates. He could see them opening. Then he was almost blinded by a bright light. Mac closed his eyes. Then he heard an alarm. "There's someone down there!" someone yelled.

Mac looked around. They had seen him! He had never been so relieved in his life. "Just hang on there! We'll get you out!" the lock master said over the intercom.

Mac did not know how much longer he could hold on. His hands felt numb almost, and so did his arms and shoulders. "Help me!" Mac yelled. "I can't hold on!"

Mac could feel his hands slipping. He was trying to keep his grip, but his hands were wet with sweat, and the numb feeling made it hard to hold on. His left hand finally slipped. He grabbed for his handhold, but he could not hold it. He could feel his right hand slipping. "Help me!" he yelled. Then he lost his grip.

Mac felt himself falling. He knew that cold water was coming. Then he was under it. Mac floated up to the surface. The water was cold. His shoulders and arms felt like sticks. "Mac!" he heard Tim yell.

Mac looked up to see Tim leaning over the edge of the lock. "I'm going down there to get him!" Tim said. "Give me a rope!"

The lockmaster already had a rope there. He and the others got the rope secured and fixed a harness for Tim. The harness had a hook on it. "When you get to him, hook this in his belt," the man told Tim. "Make sure you get it hooked good."

"I will," Tim said. "Get me down there."

The men lowered Tim down slowly. Mac could see Tim coming down. Mac was shivering now. He remembered when he was in the Upper Bay. This was not that cold, but he had a life vest on then. He had to keep himself afloat this time. "Hurry, Tim," he said.

"I'm coming, Mac, just hold on," Tim said. He looked up at the others. "Faster!"

Mac felt like his legs could barely move. "Tim!"

Tim finally got into the water. He almost lost his breath, because it was so cold. He swam over to Mac. "You're gonna be alright, Mac," Tim said. He got the hook into Mac's belt. He looked up at the others. "Get us out of here!"

Tim looked at Mac. "I'm sorry, Mac, I didn't know where you were," Tim said.

"It's not your fault," Mac said. "I should have called you sooner."

Tim held Mac up as they were being pulled out. Then they were at the wall. "We're almost out," Tim said.

Mac felt exhausted. Once they were out of the water, Tim practically had to hold Mac up. They were only connected by that hook on Mac's belt. Mac still could not feel his arms. Tim was trying to keep him from falling backward. They were both shivering. Finally, they were at the top. The other men pulled them over the edge. Mac was practically asleep when he hit the ground. They got the hook off him and got the harness off Tim.

Tim leaned over Mac. "Mac, did you swallow any water?" Tim asked.

"No," Mac answered quietly.

They heard the ambulance coming. It was not long until it arrived. "I don't want to go to the hospital," Mac said, through chattering teeth.

The paramedic chuckled. "I think that would be best," he said. He knew Mac did not really know what he was saying.

Mac woke up in the ambulance. He was wrapped in a blanket, and he felt warm now, and so sleepy, he could not stay awake. When he woke up again, he was in the emergency room. Ray was there. "Mac," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Mac asked.

"What do you think I'm doing? That guy almost killed you!"

"You're supposed to be home."

"I didn't go home. I went to the office to make out my report, and then I heard about all this going on."

Mac groaned. He knew Jenny would be upset at him. He tried. What was he supposed to do? Tie him up and take him home? "Well, I'm alright," Mac said. "Why don't you go on home?"

"Why are you so anxious for me to go home?"

"It's not me that anxious," Mac said. "It's Stella. She's waiting for you."

"I called her a while ago. She told me to get there as soon as I could. She said there was no emergency."

Mac rolled his eyes. He would be glad when this was over. He wanted people to leave him alone about this. He turned over on his side and pulled his blankets around him tighter. "I'm alright," he said again. "I'll be home after while, probably. I just fell in the water. I've been in colder water."

Mac remembered that Horatio would be calling him. His phone was ruined. He turned back over. "Let me see your phone," he said to Ray.

Ray gave him the phone. Mac dialed his office. Of course, he got Dorothy. "Dorothy," Mac said. "Have I gotten a call from Horatio Caine from Miami?"

Dorothy was quiet a moment. "Yes," she said. "He called just a while ago."

"What did he say?"

"He says he is still looking for your suspect. He knows he came in on the Delta Airlines flight, but he has no record of him leaving Miami."

"I want you to get that message to Detective Dilworth," Mac said. "Tell him my phone is ruined. He can call me on Detective Barnes' phone." Mac told her the number.

"Yes, sir," Dorothy said. "I will get it done."

Mac gave Ray's phone back. "What's that about?" Ray asked.

"That home invasion. Our suspect ran off to Miami."

"Oh."

"I guess I better call Jenny and let her know I'm okay."

"I called her earlier."

"I better call her."

Mac took Ray's phone and called Jenny and told her what happened and that he was okay. "You know I can't come down there," Jenny said.

"That's okay," Mac said. "I am okay. I'm just waiting to get out of here."

"Are you coming home?"

"I don't know when I'll be there. I have to get that guy processed and figure out what to do about this other case that Detective Dilworth and I have been working on."

"Oh, Mac. What about Ray?"

"I have exhausted that situation."

"I guess he'll get there eventually."

"I guess. I'll call you again later."

"Okay."

Mac sat up on the bed. His arms still felt sore from hanging so long. His shoulder was really hurting because he had almost ripped it out of the socket when he grabbed that wrung to stop his fall. He figured it had pulled some of those ligaments. The doctor had not come back in to tell him anything. Of course, he had been asleep since he had gotten here.

"I have to get out of here," Mac said. "I don't have time to lie here while criminals are roaming free."

Ray folded his arms. "You can't be everywhere," he said.

"I can be in my office."

Mac stood up and got his clothes, which was jeans, a sweater and underwear. "I got those out of your locker at the precinct," Ray said. "I figured you'd need them."

"Thanks." Mac looked at Ray. "You know, it's terrible to wake up and you've been undressed, and you didn't do the undressing," Mac said.

Ray snorted. "Well, at least you have on a hospital gown."

"Yeah, and I'm freezing." Mac looked at Ray. "Do you mind?"

"Sure. I'll be out in the waiting room."

Ray left the room. Just as Mac was starting to put his clothes on, the nurse came in. Mac put the hospital gown around him. "You don't have anything I haven't seen before," the nurse said.

Mac hated it when people said that. "You haven't seen me," he said.

"How do you know? You've been asleep. I have to take your blood pressure. Lie down there."

Mac got back on the bed. He just sat there though. "I don't want to lie down," he said.

"Whatever."

The nurse put the blood pressure cuff on Mac and pumped it up. Mac waited while she listened. After she was done with that, she stuck a thermometer in his mouth and checked his pulse. "Are you always this quiet when you're being examined?" she asked.

"It's kinda hard to talk with a thermometer in my mouth," Mac said, holding the thermometer with his teeth.

The nurse looked at the scar on Mac's chest. Mac looked down, then back at her. "You get that in the line of duty?" she asked, as she took the thermometer out of his mouth.

Mac nodded. "Yes," he said. "I got it in the war in Beirut."

"How is your shoulder feeling?" The nurse raised Mac's right arm up.

Mac grimaced. "It's pretty sore," he said.

"You hurting anywhere else?"

"My hands are a little sore, but I'll make it."

"Cramping?"

"Yes, some of the time."

The nurse looked at Mac's hands and massaged them. "You don't have any arthritis," she said. "Must be from being in one position for so long and clutching that wrung."

Mac nodded. He flexed his hands. "I guess I am getting old," he said.

The nurse wrote in Mac's chart. "Hmmm, you're almost fifty-three," she said. "I wouldn't have thought you were that old."

"Thanks." Mac looked at his watch. "When do I get out of here?"

"Soon. Your blood pressure is still a little low and your temperature too."

"Wouldn't it help if I was up walking around? I have cases to solve. I need a new phone."

"You'll be out soon."

The nurse left the room. Mac got his clothes on and paced around the room. He was not staying here much longer. He was not sick, and he did not want to be here."

Mac opened the door to the emergency room and almost ran into Ray. Mac backed up. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I was about to come back in," Ray said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. I'm not sitting in here. I'm not sick."

"You just going to walk out?"

"If I want to."

Mac went out of the room. He saw the nurse who had been in his room just before she saw him. "Where are you going?" the nurse asked.

"I have work to do," Mac said. "I'm leaving."

The nurse looked at him. "You should stay until the doctor comes back."

"All I did was fall in the water. I'm not hurt."

"That shoulder could have torn ligaments."

"It'll be fine. Just send me the bill."

Mac went outside. "Where's my truck?" he asked.

Ray stopped a moment. "Um, I have no idea," he said.

Mac rubbed his forehead. "I guess it's still out there at that light fixture plant," he said.

"I'll take you out there."

When they got to the plant, Mac's truck was still where he left it. Mac breathed a sigh of relief. They went back to the precinct. When Mac walked in, Detective Crowe saw him. "Mac!" Crowe said. He got up and came toward Mac with a paper.

Mac stopped and waited for Detective Crowe. "You got something?" he asked.

"The Reverend gave a good description," Crowe said. He showed Mac the printout.

Mac looked at the rap sheet for Luther Norris. "This is our suspect?" Mac asked. He thought a moment. "Isn't he on probation for drug possession?"

"Yes, sir," Crowe said. "He probably did this so he could buy drugs."

"Probably." Mac gave the paper back to Crowe. "Get an APB out for that guy. I want to know when they find him."

"Yes, sir."

Mac went to the elevator and up to the lab. He got his evidence folder and looked over it again. "I want to know what was found in Tom Gentry's truck," Mac said.

"I haven't talked to Tim yet," Ray said.

They went back down to the squad room. Tim was coming toward the elevator just as they stepped out. "Mac," Tim said. "I was just coming to find you."

"I was coming to find you too," Mac replied.

Tim handed Mac some papers. "We found a thirty-eight caliber handgun in Gentry's truck," Tim said. "It's the same caliber as the murder weapon."

"What about the bullets?"

"They're being tested now."

"I want those results as soon as they're available."

Mac went to the interrogation room where Tom Gentry was waiting. When Mac walked in, Gentry glared at him. "It's about time somebody came in," Gentry said.

"Oh, well, you had to wait until I woke up and got warmed up before I could get here," Mac said. "Remember? You left me hanging on the side of that lock?"

"Yeah. How'd you get out of there?"

"The Grace of God. Now, I want to know why you killed Joe Sullivan. You get tired of taking orders? You got cut back and he didn't?"

"Yeah. He just got to keep right on working and I almost lost everything. You know how hard it is to find a job these days?"

"So, you just killed him and made it look like a robbery?"

"I thought I might as well get a little money while I was at it. I knew you guys would think it was a robbery and he just walked in on it."

"But you didn't fool us for long. I got to wondering why somebody would try to steal petty cash like that and kill somebody over it."

"You think you're pretty smart."

Mac leaned on the table. "I guess you do too. I've been doing this a long time. It takes a lot to fool me."

Gentry leaned on the table and stared at Mac. "I did for a while," he said, with a smirk. "And I almost made it your last chase."

Gentry stared into Mac's green eyes. He leaned back. "It was nothing personal," Gentry said.

"It's always personal when somebody tries to kill me," Mac said. "I take that very personally."

"Yeah, whatever. Just get me my lawyer and put me in the slammer. At least I don't have to go hungry."

Mac rolled his eyes. "Tell that to Joe Sullivan's wife and children," he said.

"Oh, boo-hoo, you're breaking my heart."

Mac glared at Gentry. "You deserve to be in prison."

Mac left the interrogation room. Tim was standing out there. "What a piece of work," Tim said.

"Ain't he though?" Mac asked. "I'm done with this case."

"See you later."

Mac went to his office on this floor. He got a box and gathered up the rest of his things from the office. Then he went upstairs. When he came out of the elevator, Arthur was about to get on. "Mac," he said. "We finished the analysis of those bullets. They match Gentry's gun."

"I knew they would," Mac said. "He already confessed." Mac was still holding the box he had full of stuff. "Bring it to my office, will ya?"

Arthur followed Mac to his office. "Are you okay?" Arthur asked. "I heard what happened."

"I'm fine," Mac said. "My shoulder is a little sore, but it'll be alright."

Arthur sat down on the couch. Mac looked at him while he was taking stuff out of his box. "Something wrong?" Mac asked, noticing the troubled look on Arthur's face.

Arthur looked at Mac. "Melinda and I had a fight," Arthur said.

"Oh." Mac wished he had not asked now. He did not want to hear any more marriage stories today.

"She got mad at me because I tracked mud into the kitchen. I wasn't thinking. I just came back in. She got mad at me because she had just mopped the floor. She said I was inconsiderate and didn't care a thing about her feelings or how hard she worked to keep that apartment clean. I…" Arthur sighed. "I said she shouldn't be mopping in the middle of the evening when I was there. I don't have any other time to do things. She threw a fit and told me that…"

"Arthur," Mac said.

Arthur looked at Mac. "What?"

"Just go and apologize. Tell her you were an inconsiderate idiot. Pick up a dozen roses on the way."

"You think that will work?"

"What else can you do? Just mean it when you say it. Take her out to dinner."

"Okay."

Arthur gave Mac the ballistics report. "Good luck," Mac said.

"Thanks," Arthur said.

Mac finished getting everything in its place. Then he sat down. He thought about what Arthur told him. He remembered when he and Jenny had arguments. He remembered how he felt. He hoped Arthur could get it resolved.

Mac's desk phone rang. "Taylor," he said.

"Mac," Jenny said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just sitting here right now. I finished that case about the school robbery. I have to make out my report." Mac got a report sheet and picked up his pen. "That guy had no remorse. He didn't care that he killed that man and left his wife and children with an empty spot. He almost killed me. If that light hadn't hit me, they would have never seen me. I would have been crushed by that barge."

"Oh, Mac."

Mac looked at his watch. It was after eight-thirty. "I'm coming home after while."

"Did Ray go home?"

"I think so. I haven't seen him since we got back from the hospital."

"Hopefully, he's at home."

"I'm ready to get home and crawl in the bed with you too. I'm tired."

"I'll give you a good back massage when you get here."

"I need it."

"Why don't you come home now? You can do your report tomorrow afternoon."

Mac looked at his report form. "I suppose I could. I'm also helping Detective Dilworth and Detective Crowe with their cases," he said. "They still haven't found their suspects. One of them ran off to Florida. The other is at large here somewhere, I assume."

"You never quit till you get your man," Jenny said.

Mac smiled. "You know me."

"I'll see you when you get home."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

Mac hung up the phone. Then he dialed Detective Crowe's number. "Crowe," he answered.

"Detective Crowe, do you have any leads on Luther Norris yet?" Mac asked.

"Not yet, but we're looking."

"Where does he usually hang out?"

"Some bar over on Porter Road."

"Porter Road again?"

Crowe was quiet a moment. "You been over there?" he asked.

"Yes. I've been over there more than once."

"You think we should go over there?"

Mac had never been to that bar this late at night. "I suppose we could," he said. "We can get Tim to go too. Norris could be there."

"When are we leaving?"

"In just a while. I need to fix out this report first." Mac looked at his watch. "Give me an hour. Tell Tim what we're going to do."

"Okay."

Mac hung up his phone and got started on his report. He looked toward his office door. It was quiet in the lab. He realized he was here alone again. He shifted in his chair. He could not help but feel uneasy about being up here alone. He put his glasses on and started writing. He had to get over this but he hated this extreme quiet.

Mac yawned as he was writing. He needed some coffee. He went to the lounge to pour himself a cup. He looked at his cup and sugar bowl. He looked at the sugar before he put some in his coffee. He fixed his coffee and went back to his office.


	24. Chapter 24

When Mac was done with his report, he filed it and got ready to leave. He was wearing his jeans and sweater. He figured it was good enough to wear over there to that bar. He got his leather jacket and headed for the elevator. Then he heard the elevator ding. Mac put his hand on his weapon and watched the elevator doors. The doors opened, and Detective Crowe was there.

Mac relaxed. "I'm coming," he said.

"I was bringing my report to you," Crowe said.

Mac took the report and laid it on his desk. "I'll look at that…whenever."

"You alright?"

"Yes."

They went down to Mac's truck. "Maybe we should take a different vehicle," Detective Crowe said.

"Why?" Mac asked.

"That fancy truck is going to draw attention."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I have a car I drive when I'm on cases. Let's go."

Mac followed Detective Crowe over to an old black Chevy Camaro. Mac had to wrestle with the door to get it open. Then he had to slam it to get it to close. He looked at Detective Crowe. "'This' is your case car?" he asked.

"Hey, it's inconspicuous," Crowe said.

Mac rolled his eyes. The seat leather in the car was split, and the sponge was showing. The dash was cracked and the door panel looked like it could fall off any moment, not to mention the overhead cover was falling down and the floor was almost bare of the carpet. Crowe turned the key, and the engine whined, and then made some kind of noise Mac had never heard in a car engine, and then it cranked.

"Are you sure we aren't going to have to walk back?" Mac asked.

"Just relax," Crowe said.

"I don't know if I can do that."

Crowe put the car in reverse. It jerked so hard, Mac grabbed the door handle. He looked at Crowe, who seemed to be right at home. He finally got the car backed out. The gears whined when he put it in Drive. Mac thought this car did not even have a hint of a muffler. He thought they would probably hear them coming long before they ever got to the bar.

When they got there, Mac had to kick the door open. He did not think he had ever been in a car like this one. Crowe opened the trunk. He took off his coat and tie. He was already wearing jeans, so he took off his dress shirt and put on a sweat shirt and a leather jacket. Mac looked at him. "You always carry extra clothes in your trunk?" he asked.

"Yes," Crowe said. "You never know when I might have to look inconspicuous."

"Do I look inconspicuous enough?" Mac asked.

Crowe looked at him. "I don't know. You might ought to change that sweater." He rummaged through the clothes he had in the trunk and pulled out a black sweatshirt. "Wear this."

Mac looked at the sweatshirt. "Is it clean?" he asked.

"As clean as it can be."

Mac did not think that was very reassuring. He took off his leather jacket and sweater. He put the sweatshirt on over his t-shirt, and then put his leather jacket back on. "Do I look inconspicuous now?" Mac asked.

"Yes," Crowe said. "Just don't look at anybody."

Mac stared at him. "Why do people always tell me that?"

"You have a very intense stare."

Mac took his shades out of his jacket pocket and put them on. "So, I'll wear these."

Mac and Detective Crowe went into the bar. Some people glanced at them. Mac looked around the bar as he followed Crowe over to the bar. "What'll you have?" the bartender asked.

"Information," Detective Crowe said. He showed the bartender his badge. "We're looking for Luther Norris. I know he hangs out here."

"What you want him for?"

"He's a suspect in a church robbery."

A woman walked up on the other side of Mac. "Hi," she said. "I remember you."

Mac looked at her. He remembered she was the waitress who had been in here when he came in with Ray before. "Hi," Mac said.

"You guys looking for information again?" she asked.

"Yes. We're looking for Luther Norris."

"He's back there in the Billiards room."

Mac looked toward the back of the bar. There was a sign over the door that said 'Pool'. Mac looked at the woman. "Thanks," he said.

"Anything for you, Sweetie."

She slapped Mac's behind as she went by. Detective Crowe looked at Mac. "I think I want to hear that story," Crowe said.

"Never mind," Mac said.

They went to the pool room. There were about twenty people in there. Crowe showed Luther Norris' picture to Mac again. Mac went to the right and Crowe went to the left. Mac walked around the pool tables. Then a big guy stepped in front of him. Mac looked up at him. "What you doin' in here?" the man asked.

"What are you doing in here?" Mac asked.

"I'm here to play pool. I don't think you are."

"I don't mind a game of pool. I might beat you."

The man folded his arms and looked Mac up and down. "Okay, you're on," he said.

"I don't have time for it right now," Mac said.

"Why not?"

"I'm looking for somebody."

"Who?"

Mac was glad this guy was not Luther Norris. He did not think he could take this one down. "I'm looking for Luther Norris," Mac said.

The man stepped closer to Mac. "What for?" he asked.

"Look, I'm not trying to get into any trouble here."

"I think you a cop. You 'look' like a cop."

"Why?"

"You just look like one. Take them shades off."

Mac looked around the room. He spotted Luther Norris, who was staring right at him. Mac looked for Detective Crowe, and saw him already going toward Norris. He looked back at his rival. "Look, just leave me alone," Mac said.

The man looked around at the others gathered around them. "How many of you think he's a cop?" he asked.

The others all nodded and murmured agreeing. The man looked at Mac. "My name is Wallace," he said. "What's yours?"

Mac looked around at Norris again, but he was not there. He had moved toward the door. "I don't have time for this," Mac said. He climbed up on the pool table and ran across it and ran after Norris, who was going out the door now. Crowe was right behind Mac. They went out the door and chased Norris down the alley.

Norris ran around the corner of a building, and they heard a car crank. Mac and Dustin picked up speed, but they got there just in time to see him speeding away. Mac read the tag number and wrote it in his notepad. They walked back to the bar. "I don't think you should go back in there," Crowe said.

"Why?" Mac asked.

"They made you as a cop when you walked in."

"Well, this time, I'm not hiding it." Mac took his shades off and went into the bar.

Wallace was still there. "I knew you was a cop," he said to Mac.

"You know that guy we just chased out of here?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, I know him."

"You know where he lives?"

"Naw." Wallace looked at Mac. "I would still like to play you a game of pool."

"I don't have time right now."

"Why don't you come back some time when you do have time?"

Mac looked at him a moment. "Maybe I will."

Wallace offered his hand to Mac. "You alright, Copper."

Mac shook his hand. "Thanks."

Mac and Dustin went back out to the car. "Let's get an APB out on this car tag," Mac said. "Maybe we can find an address." Mac called Tim and told him to get an APB out on the car. "Run it through and see if you can get a registration and address," he said.

"I'm on it," Tim said.

Mac and Detective Crowe went back to the precinct. "I guess we have to just wait now," Crowe said.

"Yes," Mac said. "I am tired. I'm going home to get some sleep. Call me if you get anything."

"Okay."

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	25. Chapter 25

Mac drove home. When he got into the house, everything was quiet. He figured everyone was asleep. He sat down at the table and took off his shoes. That right shoe had rubbed a blister on the side of his foot. He supposed those shoes were not made to chase criminals in. He got a bottle of water and sat there drinking it. He thought about that case. He wished they could have caught that guy. Then it would be over, and he would not have to worry about someone calling him in the middle of the night just as he falls asleep. He just knew if he went and got into bed, he would get a call just about the time he fell asleep.

Mac went into the bedroom. He looked into the bassinette where the little baby was sleeping. He smiled. He thought he could tell that baby favored Stella already. He thought she had curly hair. He looked at Jenny, who was sleeping with her hair spread out on the pillow. He thought she looked like a real sleeping beauty. He took his jacket off and hung it up. He thought he might as well get into bed anyway. Maybe he would have time to at least kiss his wife and hold her a while.

Mac got a shower and then got into bed. He touched Jenny's face. She stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled. "When did you get home?" she asked.

"Just a while ago," Mac said.

Jenny kissed him. "Did you catch that criminal yet?"

"No, he got away. We have an APB on his car though."

"I'm sure you'll get him." Jenny moved closer to Mac. "Mmmm, you smell good," she said.

Mac smiled. "I thought I would try to charm you a little." He ran his fingers through her hair. "I love that soft hair."

"Would you still love it if it was short?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"No."

"I suppose I would have to get used to it. Why? Are you going to get it cut short?"

"No. I just wanted to see what you would say."

"Oh. Did I give the right answer?"

"Yes."

"How's the baby been?"

"She's been sweet. She doesn't cry much. She takes her bottles good."

"I guess Ray finally went home."

"I hope so."

Mac moved closer to Jenny. "You know, just because I get to be with you all the time doesn't mean I get tired of sex, you know," he said.

"You animal," Jenny said.

"I feel like an animal right now."

Mac started to kiss Jenny, but then his phone rang. "I knew this was going to happen," he said. He got the phone. "Taylor."

"Mac, we found that Luther Norris," Detective Crowe said. "Your buddy, Wallace, over there at the bar? He called the precinct and said Norris is back over there."

Mac smiled. "You're kidding."

"No."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the bar."

"Alright."

Mac put his phone back on the night table. He looked at Jenny. "I sure don't want to get out of this bed," Mac said. "I would rather wallow you all night than go down there chasing that moron."

Jenny laughed. "You are so dirty," she said.

"Am I? I'll show you dirty when I get back."

Mac got up and got dressed. He kissed Jenny and went back over to the bar. Detective Crowe was already there. "So, you ready to go in and get him?" Crowe asked.

"Yes," Mac said.

They went into the bar. Norris was at the bar this time. He saw them when they came in the door. He ran into the pool room. Mac and Dustin ran into the pool room. Wallace had Norris pinned down on the pool table. "Let go of me!" Norris yelled.

"I got him for you," Wallace said to Mac.

Mac and Dustin went over to them and put handcuffs on Norris. "I guess everybody isn't your friend," Mac said.

Norris glared at Mac. Dustin carried Norris out to his car. Mac looked at Wallace and shook his hand. "Thanks," Mac said.

"Hey, my brother, Tyrell, he's in prison," Wallace said. "He said there was a detective in there with him not long ago, said his name was Mac Taylor, described him to a tee."

Mac smiled. "So that's why you helped me," he said.

"Yeah. Tyrell says you alright."

"Thanks."

"You got time for that pool game now?"

"I'm afraid not. I have to get back there and get that prisoner taken care of and get reports done. Then I need some rest, but I'll get over here one of these days."

"I look forward to it. I'm gonna whip you."

Mac laughed. "You probably will."

Mac went out to his truck. When he got to the precinct, Tim was booking Norris, who was not wanting to cooperate at all. "Why don't you just shut up?" Tim asked. "You're getting booked whether you like it or not."

Norris glared at Mac. "What am I under arrest for?" Norris asked.

"I think Detective Crowe already told you that," Mac said.

Norris tried to get out of the chair he was sitting in. Tim shoved him back down. "You stay right there," Tim said. "You go around robbing places and think you're going to get away with it."

Mac smiled his smirky smile. "They always do," he said. He looked at his watch. "Well, I am going home to my warm house," he said. He looked at Norris. "See? I can do what I want." He looked at Tim. "Tell Dustin to take care of this clown."

Mac went out to his truck. He would finish those reports tomorrow afternoon. Right now, he was going home to his wife. He thought he deserved it after spending all that time in jail. He turned his music up loud on his way home. '_Can anybody really have a life this good?'_ he asked himself.

When Mandy was 5 years old, Mac had taken her to her first day of Kindergarten. When she was 22 years old, he walked her down the aisle and gave her away to a young cop that was just getting started. Mandy worked in the crime lab. Mac supposed it was natural. Five years later, he watched Peter get married to, of all people, Ray and Stella's daughter.

After the wedding, Mac and Jenny were just sitting there. Anthony came to them. "Come on, Dad," he said. "Let's go home." Mac was 73 years old now. Anthony usually drove them wherever they wanted to go. He was not married yet, so he still lived with them and worked in an office in Nashville.

As for Penny, well, she had moved to New York City. She had wanted to see and work where her Mom and Dad had found each other. She worked in the crime lab. Anyone who was looking could see her blonde hair flying as she chased down criminals, trying to bring law and order and justice to a "cesspool of violence", as Flack called it. Flack, who was now the Chief of Detectives, could see Mac's determination and fire in Penny's eyes and Jenny's compassion in her smile. It was like working with Mac and Jenny again all rolled into one. She was like one of his own kids; he had two of his own. Ray was the Chief of Detectives in Nashville. Most of the people there now were too young to have worked with Mac, but they certainly knew the legend of Mac Taylor.

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